


"Stay."

by JuniperIris



Series: Torch! Tales [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Bands, Cigarettes, F/M, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Fluffier than I planned oops, Kuroo Tetsurou is a Little Shit, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Protective Tsukishima Kei, Reader Has A Name, Rough Sex, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings, Vaginal Sex, a bit of OC'ness, definitely not a slow burn, more like the fire is there and they're just casually ignoring it, no beta we die like daichi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:54:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 37,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25563142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuniperIris/pseuds/JuniperIris
Summary: Kei wants you to fly out and stay with him for a week, but what happens when your occasional hook up starts to evolve into something more?A continuation of Torch!.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Tsukishima Kei/Original Female Character(s), Tsukishima Kei/Reader
Series: Torch! Tales [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1848295
Comments: 130
Kudos: 217





	1. Nerves

Kei was teetering on the edge of being tipsy, much to the delight of Tadashi. Kei was a closed book, hiding behind his sarcasm and apathy, but when Tadashi managed to get enough alcohol in him, the walls would drop just enough to let him get the information he wanted from his best friend. 

They are sitting in their shared hotel room, having forgone drinking with the rest of Torch! to instead spend some time together. Kei was stretched out on the lounge chair, his feet resting on the ottoman, while Tadashi sat cross-legged on his bed, his back against the headboard. 

"So, you finally hung out with her last time." Tadashi's cheeks are flushed from drinking, making his freckles more obvious. "How'd that go?"

Kei groans and takes another sip of his beer. "Why do I have a feeling this is what caused you to agree to hang out tonight?"

"Don't avoid my question, Tsukki. I know you. Something happened, didn't it?" Tadashi leans forward a bit, his eyes shining. 

"You mean, something more than all the other times I've slept with her?" Kei raises an eyebrow. 

"You have a crush on her." Tadashi declares, easily able to see through his friend's stony exterior. 

"No shit. That's why I  _ fuck  _ her, genius." Kei's words are slightly slurred. 

"It's more than that, Tsukki." Tadashi stumbles off the bed, spilling beer as he moves to sit on the ottoman by Kei's feet. "You said you actually talked to her, right?"

"Yeah, for a while." Kei shifts uncomfortably and takes another drink. His eyes meet Tadashi's, who is looking at him expectantly. "It was…" He pauses for a moment, searching for the right word. "It was nice, you know, seeing her outside of the bedroom."

"But there's still something that's bothering you."

Kei nods. "Sometimes I catch myself thinking that, maybe this is just what she wants."

"She's probably got the same idea about you." Tadashi's face splits into a grin. "Some sexy musician propositions her to be his fuck buddy while he's in town and barely talks to her when he's away. Nothing about that screams 'I want to get to know you!'. Think about it."

"You were the one who told me to go after her." Kei snorts, his face twisted in annoyance. 

"Yeah, to ask her out, not to drag her to your hotel." Tadashi swats Kei's leg. "Seriously dude, you've got to get out of your head."

"What do you suggest then?" Kei's voice is missing its usual venom. 

"Text her more, ask her about herself--"

"I hate texting."

"Then call!" Tadashi waves a hand. "She's cute and she apparently isn't put off by you acting like such a dick. So just do it. You deserve to be happy."

"You think she's someone that would make me happy?" Kei grips his beer bottle until his knuckles turn white. "I don't exactly do the relationship thing very well, Tadashi. Sex is the easy part. The rest of it? Not so much."

"I don't know her, but…" Tadashi places a hand on Kei's leg. "You're not Kuro. It isn't like you to show interest in someone like this or have mindless flings. Give it a shot."

"Alright then." Kei takes a long swig of beer. "I'm going to invite her to come visit me. If it works, we'll figure it out."

"And if it doesn't?"

Kei's face slips back to one of smug indifference. "She's still a really good lay."

////

It always saddened you a bit when the bite marks Kei Tsukishima left all over your skin eventually faded in the days following his visits. You'd known the man for two years and had little to show for it, other than the text logs and the bright yellow hoodie you kept tucked away in your closet. It had been nearly three weeks since he had given it to you and you struggled with the sudden permanence of something belonging to him staying behind with you. It was silly, you knew that. It was just a giant piece of warm fabric. But it was  _ his  _ and it was in  _ your  _ closet. 

When had you caught feelings for him?

You figured it was long before he had taken you to your favorite diner for breakfast, where you finally got a glimpse of Kei outside of the bedroom. The two of you knew each other as best as two people who managed to fuck multiple times on multiple occasions, yet you were still surprised at how he seemed almost shy sitting across from you while you ate a pancake nearly the size of your face. You caught the way his lips curved to the slightest hint of a smile when you offered him one of the strawberries from your side of fruit, and learned that strawberry shortcake was his favorite. 

It was surprisingly easy after that, as if learning his favorite dessert was the key to getting him to open up more about himself. 

He'd unwittingly given you hope for something more than sex (as incredible as it was), a hope that was quickly dashed when he resumed his normal radio silence after Torch! left Park Barre. 

Sure, the self-deprecating thoughts came, as they usually did, followed by the acceptance of not belonging in his world. 

You threw yourself into work to distract yourself, picking up more freelance content writing opportunities than normal, while still helping your sister out at her small bakery whenever she needed. Tsukishima's typical weekly texts came and you responded with heavily edited, short replies, not leaving much room for him to text back. 

Late night runs were your way of tiring yourself out enough to pass out once you forced yourself to lay down. Sleep was never an easy feat for you. Your mind often spiraled out of control, and tonight was no different. 

_ I still need to finish that promo, and do research for a blog post. Sis's latest bridal client has her tasting on Friday, she'll need me for that. Wait, wasn't I supposed to go out with Kimmi on Friday? Do you think she still judges me for going to see Torch! as much as I do? She probably does. She knows why I do. Probably thinks I'm completely two-faced. I mean, I am, God knows I come off as such a prude in my normal life. I really need to get my head out of my ass… _

You turn up the volume on your phone in an effort to drown out your thoughts with the lyrics of AJJ's  _ Brave as a Noun _ . Your smoker's lungs burn with the activity, but you force yourself to continue down the empty sidewalk. 

The song is suddenly cut off by your annoyingly chipper ringtone. You slow your pace to a walk, and nearly stop when you see the name on the screen. 

_ Kei T. _

"Butt dial?" Your voice is breathy when you answer. He'd never called you before. 

"Is that even possible anymore?" You could practically hear Kei rolling his eyes. "Hello."

"Hi." You find a bench and sit down, unsure of your ability to continue moving during a conversation. 

_ Am I breathing too loudly? Why would he call now? Ugh.  _

"I kind of hate texting, so…" he exhaled sharply. "Shit. I just realized how late it is over there."

"It's fine." You say, far too quickly. "I'm still up."

"Alright." You hear the unmistakable click of a lighter. "Were you busy?"

"Just out on a run." You draw your knees up to your chest. 

"This late?"

"Couldn't sleep."

"Are you close to home?" There was something in his voice that you couldn't quite place. 

"If I start walking I can be there in 10. Why?" Your breath was coming out evenly again. 

"Go ahead then. I'll stay on until you're back. You shouldn't be out this late." 

Your heart involuntarily flutters, but you hurriedly remind yourself that he's probably just being nice. "You've seen it here, I'm fine."

"Fine, I'll just hang up and assume you're dead if I don't hear back from you." His voice is flat as he speaks. 

"Don't be dramatic." Despite your words, you get off the bench and start heading to your sister's house, where you had been living for the past year since graduating college. "I'm walking now."

"Good girl." His words go straight to your core. "What are you doing the week of the 18th?"

You blink. "The entire week, or…?"

"Yeah, the entire week." He says slowly. "The tour will be over then, and I've got the time off from my day job."

"You have a day job?" You're suddenly reminded of how little you know about him. 

"It's part time, usually. I work in a museum here." 

"No shit." You can't hide the surprise in your voice. Out of all the jobs that existed, that wasn't the one you'd expect from Tsukki. 

"Mhm. So, are you free?" There's a slight tinge of annoyance in his question. 

"I might have some writing things to do, but other than that, I think so." Your mind reels at what he's implying. 

"You can do that here, right?"

"There?!" You manage to choke out. 

"Yeah. Here. If you want to come visit for a while." When you don't immediately respond, he speaks again. "Is it that weird of me to ask?"

"Kind of. But it's okay. Really." You try to come up with a response that masks the excitement bubbling up inside you, and the result is an incredible amount of word vomit. "I just, uh, didn't really expect it. I mean, it's pretty obvious that I'm just a bed warmer whenever you happen to come here, which is fine, you know, we don't really talk or anything. I mean, we sometimes do after, but I thought--"

"Oh my God, shut up." There isn't malice in his tone. "I just said I hate texting, didn't I?"

"Yes, but--"

"And I kind of suck at this." You hear the flick of his lighter again and it makes you wish you had brought your own cigarettes. "We can forget this entire conversation if you're not interested. So long as I can still fuck your brains out when we come around."

"Wait. Are you of all people worried about me not being interested?" You stop at a crosswalk, trying to wrap your head around the situation. 

"You flatter me. Really though, Mei, I'd like to actually spend some time with you." You hear a door open and close, followed by his soft footsteps. "So, can I buy you a plane ticket, or are you going to completely deny me?"

"Let me buy my own ticket at least." You groan. 

"No." His tone shifted into the low dominance that you were oh so used to. "You'll have a seven hour flight to the west coast from there with a short layover, but you'll gain three hours with the time difference. Do you need me to get you a Lyft to the airport?" 

"Something tells me you were at least confident enough to have already researched flights." You tease. "I can ask my sister for a ride."

"You caught me."

He lists off the rest of your flight details as you continue your walk. You begrudgingly give him all the information he needs to purchase the ticket, and he confirms at least three more times that yes, you do want to come stay with him for a week. You find his insecurity endearing, all while cursing your own. Maybe he really did just hate texting. Maybe he was actually shy. You mentally vowed to ask him in person what had convinced him to send Tadashi chasing after you that first night. 

He demands picture proof that you've made it home after you ended the call, and you send him a quick selfie of your sweaty, flushed face once you had quietly crept into your room so as to not disturb your sister. Your heart lurches when he responds with a picture of his own, one of him sitting at a hotel desk, the confirmation for your flight clearly displayed on the computer screen behind him. He's not quite looking at the camera, and there's softness in his expression that you'd only seen in brief moments in his post-coital glow. 

///

"What are you freaking out about?"

He calls you again a few days later just as you were crawling into bed. Six days before you're going to hop on a plane and fly across the country. Six days before you're going to spend a week with him. Six days before you make an ass of yourself and he sees that you're not half as confident as you pretend to be. Six days--

"Mei. I can hear you short-circuiting from here." Kei presses.

He had just asked you about how you felt about meeting his friends.  _ His friends _ . Hinata and Suga and that spiky-haired guitarist. And maybe more than that. 

"What if you don't like me?" You blurt out. 

You hear a muffled chuckle. "What if I don't like you?"

"Yeah." You whisper. You curl into your pillows and let your phone balance against your ear. 

"Do you have any sense of self-preservation? You've been sleeping with a random ass guy for the last two years and you agreed to fly out to stay with him for a week even though you barely know him." Kei pauses for a moment. "And the only thing that concerns you is whether or not I'll 'like' you."

"Stupid, isn't it?" Your voice comes out in a high-pitched squeak. 

"Uh, yeah. Not liking you is the least of my concerns."

"Kei Tsukishima has concerns?" You can't stop yourself from giggling. You feel a small sense of relief. 

"More than you'd think." You hear a chorus of voices coming from Tsukki’s line. There was some shuffling, as if he were trying to shove his phone in his pocket. 

“Were you talking to someone Tsukki?” You hear another man’s voice in the background. It isn’t one you recognize, but you immediately have an idea about who it might belong to. 

“Please leave.” Kei’s voice sounds far away from the receiver, but the distance does little to disguise the irritation. 

“Aw, come on, let me talk to her.” The other voice sounds closer now, and you can hear some light scuffling. You snuggle deeper into your pillows, trying not to giggle at what you’re hearing. 

“Yeah Salty-shima, let him talk to her!” Another voice, Hinata’s, rings in your ear. This causes a laugh to escape you. You already like Hinata, you decide. 

You hear the sounds of a light struggle, accompanied by Kei cursing and Hinata egging the other person on eagerly. After a few moments of this, there’s the sounds of rapid footsteps, then:

“Hellllo there!” A deep, warm voice fills your ear. 

“Are you the guitarist?” You ask shyly. 

“I might be.” He taunts. “Are you the hotel girl?” 

“I might be.” You repeat. “My name’s Mei Yasamura.”

“Hello Mei.” He drawls. “I’m Tetsurou Kuroo. Please, call me Kuro.”

“Hi Kuro.” You shift uncomfortably. You get the feeling that he’s trying to instigate something with Kei, which both entertains you and puts you on edge. You decide to use the opportunity to draw out some information you’ve been dying to learn. “So, I’m hotel girl? Is there a parking lot girl or something?”

Kuro lets out a sharp laugh. “You really don’t know Skinny, do you? There’s hotel girl, and there’s Righty.”

“Righty?” Your brow furrows in confusion. 

“You know, his right--”

“Stop fucking talking.” You hear Kei’s sharp voice. You can clearly picture the unamused expression that was certainly on his face and it nearly makes your heart stop, even though you weren’t the one who it was aimed towards. 

“I was just saying hello, Tsukki.” Kuro was clearly unaffected by Kei’s irritation. You wonder if this is what their relationship is like. Judging by Kuro’s antics on stage, he was definitely the instigator of the two of them. 

“Uh huh, yeah. I’ll be taking my phone back now.” Kei’s tone shifts from irritation to being completely deadpan. You weren’t sure which was scarier. 

“Fine, Tsukki.” Kuro chuckles. “Bye Miss Hotel Girl!”

“Bye Mr. Guitarist.” You chuckle back despite yourself. 

When Kei returns to the phone, you can sense the tension in his voice. “What’d he say to you?”

“Something about Righty.” You grin. You roll over in bed, adjusting your covers back over your shoulders. “Really though, Kei. He told me something I needed to hear.”

“Hm?” You can practically see him rubbing his forehead. 

“I’m not saying. I don’t want to find out whether it's true or not.” You shake your head. 

“You could just ask me, you know.” The sudden gentleness in his voice catches you off guard. “I’m no prince, but I’m not going to lie to you if you want to know something.”

You ponder for a moment, doing your best to keep your anxiety on the topic from surfacing. You’ve always known that there was no way that you weren’t the only woman Kei had been with, but you had always been curious about whether this was a normal thing for him. 

When you don’t say anything, Kei lets out a long sigh. “There wasn’t anyone else after the third time we spent the night together. Was that what you were wondering?”

“I really don’t get how you’re able to read me over the phone.” You have mixed feelings about what Kei has just told you. “What changed after the third time?”

“Oh, now you’re fishing.” The smirk is obvious in his voice. “I’ll tell you in person, alright?”

“Alright,” you yawn. 

“Just go to sleep knowing that I want you,” he lowers his voice to a quiet purr. “I want you over, and over, until I’ve completely wrecked you for anyone else. And if it weren’t for the idiot brigade somehow finding me, I’d tell you exactly how I’d do it.”

You feel a familiar tingle between your legs. “I think you might have already wrecked me.”

“Oh yeah?” He hums. “Are you sure you can handle being my little plaything for an entire week?”

“If you think you can handle me.” You murmur, the heat rising to your cheeks. You’ve always felt shy when it came to dirty talk, but being on the phone made it somewhat easier. 

"She's feeling bold." Kei's voice is oddly intoxicating. "Shouldn't you be getting to sleep?"

"You can't just say that now that you've gotten me keyed up." You pout, despite the exhaustion threatening to overtake you. 

"Can't I?" Kei chuckles. "Go to bed, Mei. We'll talk soon."

"Fine." You toss your blankets over your head, cocooning yourself. "Good night, Kei."

"Night."

///

Packing for a week with Kei had been a nightmare. He'd done little to ease your nerves about the situation at first, only offering comments like: "Why are you asking me?", "Wear things you'd normally wear.", "I don't know, but its kind of hot here.", and your favorite, "Clothes.". 

It admittedly made you want to scream, until he finally said "I'm not asking you to play a part or whatever, just be you".

You managed to fit everything into one large suitcase, and opted to use your worn backpack as a carry-on. You tell yourself that you'll find time to write while you're on the plane, but instead you wind up watching random YouTube videos and zoning out while listening to music. You find yourself going through Torch!'s channel, trying to catch glimpses of Kei performing. 

(It isn't the first time you've done this. You never really had a thing for musicians, but the way Kei's long fingers moved over his bass guitar strings was a beautiful, beautiful thing.)

Your stomach is in your throat by the time your plane finally lands. You send Kei a quick text telling him you've landed and asking where he'd like to meet. You assume that he'll more than likely opt for picking you up curbside outside of the arrival gates, giving you the chance to shake your nerves at baggage claim. 

Once you're finally off the plane, you make a beeline for the baggage claim area, your nerves causing you to move faster than normal. Your second flight had been just shy of three hours, and on top of seeing Kei you were already stressed from all the travel. You found yourself hyper-focused on the signs ahead of you, rather than your surroundings. Fortunately, just as you were about to pass the no re-entry point, you spot a familiar head of blonde curls above the rest of the crowd. 

_ Thank God he's so damn tall.  _

You double back and dart into the closest restroom, your chest tightening with nerves. This was actually happening. You were in his home city, and he had taken the time to wait for you in the airport. The anticipation of it all is almost too much to deal with. 

You find yourself a spot at a row of sinks and balance your backpack at the edge, trying to ignore the fact that you'll more than likely wind up getting it wet in the process. You dig around for some hairspray, lip balm,  _ something, _ to make it feel as if you were at least trying to freshen yourself up a bit. You were suddenly second-guessing your decision of wearing a pair of comfortable leggings and a baggy knit sweater. Not because you knew he'd see you in them, but because it was suddenly  _ way too hot _ . 

"Hey." A woman's voice cuts through the chaos going through your mind. You look up at the mirror and see the source of the voice standing at the sink beside you. She has her own bag open and is going through the process of straightening herself up. Not like she needed to. You had no idea how long she'd been traveling, but her shoulder-length, black hair was remarkably in place, and her light makeup was impeccable. 

"Hi." You respond cautiously, not trusting your own voice. 

"Are you alright? You look like you're about to panic over there." Her voice is soothing. She hands you a small container of dry shampoo and a peppermint. 

"Yeah. To both of those things. I'm meeting someone, and he's here, and I wasn't really expecting him to be." You quickly pop the peppermint in your mouth and use some of the dry shampoo, trying to put some life back in your hair. 

Her nose wrinkles in confusion. "Wait, you're meeting him, but you weren't expecting him?"

"I mean, he's here here. Like in the airport." You point at the ground dramatically. "Not in his car waiting, but  _ here. _ "

"That means he wanted to greet you, that's all." A small smile plays on her lips. "The mint should help. A close friend of mine gets bad anxiety too. It'll give you something else to focus on."

Your teeth bite down on the mint with an alarming crunch. "Thank you. Do I look completely out of it?"

"Come here." She motions you closer, and when you comply, she produces a baby wipe out of a small packet and gently rubs it underneath your eyes. She studies your face for a moment. "I think you're good. You had some mascara running there."

"You're such a lifesaver." Between the mint and the woman's calming persona, you were starting to feel a bit better. "Are you meeting someone?"

"My boyfriend's waiting to pick me up curbside." She rolls her eyes, but there's a tenderness in her words. "Is this guy your boyfriend?"

Your too-trusting nature comes on in full force. "I have no idea what to call him. He's in a band, and usually we just uh,  _ hang out _ whenever he's in my hometown, but he asked me to come out here for a week so we could actually get to know each other."

"I see. Then trust me, you've got nothing to worry about." Her eyes spark with something. Realization? "You don't want to keep him waiting. Go on, I might run into you again."

"O-okay." You nod, gathering up your backpack once again. She's hurrying out of the bathroom before you can think to ask her name. 

You take a deep breath before leaving the bathroom, deciding there's not much more to be done about your appearance.

You can easily spot him just beyond the security gate now that you know to look for him. He's standing off on his own, not quite making it obvious that he's searching for you. You're momentarily grateful of your short stature making it hard to find you in a crowd. 

Panic shoots up your spine once he finds you. You're suddenly overwhelmed with uncertainty. Do you hug him? No. He doesn't seem to be the hugging type. Do you go in for a kiss? What if he doesn't want to do that in public? 

Kei is standing right in front of you before you can fully register it. You stare openly at him for a moment, as if your brain had conveniently forgotten just how attractive he is and made it feel as if it were the first time you'd laid eyes on him. You can hear your heartbeat in your ears, drowning out the noise of the people around you. 

There's something undeniably electric between the two of you. You're too wrapped up in the moment of it all to consider if it could be anything more than a physical attraction. Either way, you knew he felt the same way, judging by the way his eyelids lowered ever so slightly as he gazed at you. 

Kei surprises you when he bends down to kiss you, his mouth lingering on yours for mere seconds before he pulls away. It was nothing more than a soft brush of his lips on yours, but it was enough to send a shiver through your system. 

"You're here." He says it as if he can't quite believe it either. He blinks and quickly recovers, shifting to a smug expression. "I thought you'd chicken out."

"And I was worried you'd be a total ass and stand me up." You wink, quickly catching on to his personality. You take the time to look him over, everything from his familiar tattoos peaking out from his collar and sleeves of his t-shirt, to the way his slim-cut jeans hug every inch of his long legs. 

"Never," he says, and you can only hope its true. He pushes his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and gives you a considering look. "Let's go get your luggage."

You nod and start in the direction of the baggage carousels. You're only a few steps in before you feel a large hand slide into yours, interlacing your fingers together as you walk. 

A blush rises to your cheeks as you risk looking up at him. He gives you a glance, and you notice a hint of a smile on his lips. 

"Like I said, I'm kind of bad at this." His voice is barely audible over the people around you. "But that's our secret, alright?" 

You squeeze his hand lightly, suddenly feeling a bit taller than normal. "I'm bad at it too, but whatever this is, I'm here for it."

"Well," he huffs out a small breath.

"I'm glad you're here."

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been sitting on this idea for a while now. I hope you all enjoy this mini-series as much as you enjoyed the first installment!
> 
> As far as ages go, Reader is around 22, while Kei is in his late 20s.
> 
> Did you all catch on to who Reader met in the bathroom?
> 
> Things get spicy starting in the next chapter. ^^
> 
> Let me know your thoughts! I love talking to y'all.


	2. Just a desk.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did someone order smut with a side of tension?

Kei's hand was resting comfortably on your thigh as he drove. He hadn't stopped touching you since taking your hand in the airport, something you hadn't been expecting. He was incredibly attentive, insisting on being the one to roll your suitcase out to his older red sedan and load it into the trunk. 

What really got your heart racing was the bottled cold brew and pack of cigarettes that was waiting for you in the passenger's seat. Parliaments. 

You had stood outside of the car staring at the items until he made a comment about you not knowing how to get into a vehicle. Still, you could see the pleased look on his face at your reaction to the gesture. 

"You have Spotify?" He asks, breaking the silence between the two of you. 

"Duh." You grin and take a drag from your much-needed cigarette. He had to convince you to light up in his car, something you'd normally never consider doing. 

His hand leaves your thigh and reaches for his AUX cord, holding it out to you. "I dare you to go to your 'On Repeat' Playlist and hit shuffle."

"Why do I have the feeling you're about to judge me?" You roll your eyes and take the cord, plugging it into your phone. 

"Because I am." His hand returns to your thigh, all while keeping his eyes carefully trained on the road. "I've been curious ever since you said you weren't into punk rock."

"Any guesses before I hit play?"

"Mm. No. Keeping that one to myself."

You dangle your cigarette between your lips and find the playlist, saying a silent prayer to the music gods that you don't wind up playing anything embarrassing. You hit "shuffle play" and sit back in your seat, mentally preparing yourself for one of your embarrassing pump up songs to start blasting through the speakers. Much to your relief,  _ This Charming Man _ by The Smiths begins playing. 

"Unexpected." Kei raises an eyebrow. You can hear him faintly humming along to the chorus, and his fingers lightly tap the rhythm on your leg. 

"You don't hate it." You say, not trying to hide your delight. 

"This is just the first song." Kei reminds you. 

You settle your phone in your lap, letting your hand gently rest over his as the song continues. You run your eyes over the unfamiliar landscape of the city. It's much larger than what you're used to, with towering skyscrapers blocking out the light from the setting sun. Your mind wanders a bit, pondering on what kind of places Kei frequents here, what his normal life is like. 

Your thoughts are sharply interrupted as the song switches to something much, much more embarrassing. 

"Oh my god." Kei lets out a sharp laugh as the opening lyrics of  _ I'm a Bitch I'm a Boss _ by Jilly Queen start up. 

"Shit!" You nearly choke on your cigarette as you frantically grab at your phone. Kei snatches your wrist, stopping your movements. "Kei, come on."

"Let me guess, you start your workouts with this one." Kei is full-on grinning at your reaction, and part of you is willing to suffer through the cringing feeling if it meant you got to see him smile more. 

"Guilty." You squeak. You finish off your cigarette and let it drop into the ashtray nestled in one of the cup holders. "I listen to it in the shower too."

"I swear I will throw your phone in the toilet if you listen to this in my shower." Something in his tone tells you he's serious. 

"It's waterproof." You deadpan. 

"Guess I'll have to supervise you then." His hand squeezes your thigh. 

"Are you flirting with me?" You ask, feigning being scandalized at the thought. 

"Do I need to make it more obvious?" Kei clicks his tongue. "You're not  _ that _ dense, are you?"

"I'm not dense at all!" You protest. 

"Could've fooled me." He teases. 

You grumble a bit, choosing not to reply. You instead focus on Kei's fingers as he absently draws small circles on your leg. The motion is light and tender, but it still sends butterflies shooting through your stomach. Part of you still wasn't able to process everything that was happening. It seemed surreal, being here with him, seeing him express some semblance of interest toward you. 

You were afraid to ask what had changed. There was something so fragile that hung between you and Kei that you were convinced you'd break it if you were to mention it. 

The rest of the drive was peaceful, in part due to your taste in acoustic indie music filling the air between you. Kei seemed to enjoy your music choices, occasionally asking the name of a band he didn’t recognize or pointing out lyrics that caught his attention. You sipped your cold brew and happily responded to his thoughts. You could feel your nerves slowly slipping away the more you talked to him, finding it surprisingly easy to converse. 

"Don't expect much from my place." He warns as he makes a turn into a parking garage attached to a large, slate gray building covered in windows. "Code's 7823, if you ever need it," he says as he types the numbers in, causing the gate to rise. 

"7823," you echo. 

You momentarily lose track of the amount of floors he drives around, until he eventually pulls into a spot on the 11th floor. The garage is fairly full, and you wonder just how many people lived here. You'd visited bigger cities before, but had never experienced the residential side. 

The two of you get out of the car, and he leads you through a glass door and down a long hallway after getting your suitcase from the trunk. You can tell he's growing tense when he stops at unit 1113 and unlocks the door. He jerks his head to the side and swings the door open, making room for you to go inside. 

You give him a reassuring smile as you cross through the doorway. 

Kei's apartment is small with an open floor plan, but that isn't the detail that draws your focus. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the large balcony door, the curtains open to reveal what you're sure is a brilliant view of the city. You're surprised to see his furniture follow a specific mid-century modern theme, with muted green upholstery on the couch and chair, a mahogany TV stand and coffee table. There isn’t much in the way of decor, with the exception of his guitars hanging carefully on the wall and a bookshelf with an assortment of books, photo frames, and trinkets. 

What really amazes you is the immaculate cleanliness. Every surface from the granite kitchen countertops to the far corners of the room looked to be completely spotless. You can tell from the state of Kei's kitchen alone that he's an incredibly organized person. Knowing this intimidates you a bit--you tend to bring chaos to every space you inhabit. 

"Did you clean up for me, or are you always this neat?" You ask, already knowing the answer. 

"Tch. Don't judge me. I dread seeing the inside of this thing." Kei nudges your suitcase. 

"I like it here." You step further inside. You give him a questioning look when you notice a blanket and pillow on the couch. 

"Wanted to give you the option." He shrugs. "It's a one bedroom."

"You don't think I want to sleep with you?" You slip your shoes off, placing them by the kitchen counter. 

"One of my concerns." His fingers twist around the hem of his shirt. "Tadashi lives on the next floor in 1218. He said you could come up there if you needed to."

"Kei." You cross back over to him and reach up to place a hand on his cheek. You try to ignore the way he stiffens at the contact. "Stop worrying."

"I'm not." He grumbles, taking your hand and bringing it to his lips, pressing a kiss on your knuckles. 

"Uh huh." You wiggle your eyebrows. "Can I look at your bookshelf?"

You wait for him to nod before you move over to the shelf, your eyes skimming over the contents.  _ He's smart _ , you realize. His books seem to be organized into two specific categories--philosophy and paleontology. There are books on Darwin and dinosaur fossils along one shelf, then works from Aristotle, Plato, Nietzsche, and others you don't recognize. You can't stop yourself from chuckling at his copy of  _ Atlas Shrugged _ , noticing a bookmarked firmly lodged close to the beginning of the novel.

"I couldn't get through this one either." You say, pointing at the book. "I did read Aristotle in my rhetoric classes. Did you study philosophy?"

"I might've, if I'd gone that route. Music just always felt more important." You can tell from the tone of his voice that it isn’t a subject he wanted to delve into. 

You shift your attention to the picture frames that were nearly lined on the top shelf. Several of them feature a bright-eyed toddler with curly blonde hair, accompanied by a man that looks to be a few years older than Kei. 

"My niece, Sayori, and my brother Akiteru." Kei moves behind you and points to the smiling faces in the frames. "She'll be four this year."

"She's so cute!" You gush, noting how Kei seems to soften as he mentions Sayori. "I bet you're the best uncle."

"I try." Kei lightly strokes your back. "You live with your sister, right? Is it just the two of you?"

"There are five of us, but we're pretty estranged from the other three." You sigh before continuing. "Two older brothers, and another sister. I'm the youngest. Hifumi and I didn't exactly go the way our parents wanted."

You expect him to make some sarcastic remark about your career choice as a writer, instead he settles his hand on the small of your back and says, "If you're doing what you like, then that shouldn't matter."

"I guess." You lean into his touch. 

"Come on, I've got something to show you." He picks up on your discomfort on the matter and moves toward the opposite side of the room and down a short, narrow hallway. He opens the door at the end, revealing his bedroom. 

You take in the room, noting it was just as clean as the kitchen and living area, if not cleaner. There was something undeniably masculine about the space. His bedding was a deep navy, almost black, and he had several fluffy-looking pillows carefully arranged along the headboard. His dresser had a tall mirror attached, and there was a small lamp on his nightstand. There was a small desk in the corner that was completely bare. 

"I like to plan for everything, Mei. That's something you should know about me." Kei starts speaking again, and your mind reels with trying to figure out what he's getting at. He has your backpack thrown over one shoulder--you'd nearly forgotten it--and he makes a point to place it in the desk chair. "You can work here, if you want."

The look he gives you nearly makes your heart explode. You clasp your hand to your mouth in an attempt to force back the swell of emotions that were threatening to burst out of you. 

You had briefly mentioned that you might need to write while you were here--and he'd set up a desk. 

It was something so  _ simple _ , but you couldn't remember the last time someone had done something so nice. 

"It's just a desk, Jesus." Kei shifts uncomfortably at your reaction. 

"It means a lot." You manage. You wrap your arms around his waist and rest your head against his chest. It doesn't bother you when he doesn't return the embrace, you hadn't expected him to. "You're secretly nice, aren't you?"

He snorts and pats your head somewhat awkwardly. "I wouldn't go that far."

"Don't worry, I won't tell Kuro." You raise your head just enough to see him narrow his eyes in annoyance. You slide your hands up his chest and around his neck, pulling him down until you're able to bring your lips up to his. 

His hands settle on your hips as he deepens the kiss, easily pushing his tongue past your lips and into your eager mouth. You practially whimper as his tongue explores you, rubbing against your sensitive soft palate. The sensation sends a tingling feeling down your back. 

He pulls away much too soon, his face hovering mere inches above yours. When you start to protest, he presses a long finger against your lips. 

"Patience. We have  _ days _ , not just hours." His finger trails down, moving to trace your jaw. "Shower with me."

"Okay," you breathe. "Let me unpack my--"

"After. I'm not that patient." The corner of his mouth twitches lightly. "Just use my stuff."

He takes you to his ensuite bathroom, and once again you're transfixed by the sterile surfaces. You familiarize yourself with the space as he opens the walk-in shower and turns on the water. 

"Towels are under the sink." He says quietly. You watch him through the mirror while he removes his glasses and places them on the counter. He starts tugging off his shirt, stopping once he realizes you're openly staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing." You flush. 

You take out two towels and washcloths from the cabinet beneath the sink and turn to hang them on the rack before hesitantly slipping out of your clothes. This isn't the first time you've been naked in front of Kei, but this time feels so much more intimate for some reason. You keep your back turned as your clothes join his in the hamper. 

Kei's warm chest presses against your back as he reaches past you to grab the washcloths. You can feel his half-hardened dick against your skin. "Too much?" His question is genuine, rather than teasing. 

"No, it's just…" you turn around to face him. Your breath hitches when your bare chest presses to his. 

"I know." His eyes are dark with want. He gives you a look that reads 'this is different for me, too'. 

You can't tell if it's your own desire, or the steam from the shower that's making your breathing go shallow. 

You step inside the shower, welcoming the warm water as it soaks your body. You're glad he suggested this; you had spent several hours within the stale air of airplanes and you were certain it didn't do you any favors. 

The two of you washed yourselves in tandem, sharing his tea tree oil body wash, a scent that immediately floods your brain with memories.  _ Good _ memories. 

His skin is slick against yours as he draws you under the spray of the shower with him. His hands lock around your wrists and pulls your clenched fists against his chest, holding you there as he stares down at you with intense, unfocused eyes. His lips crash against yours before you can speak. The water pools between your bodies while he holds you there, his mouth working against yours greedily. 

Your hands twitch in his grip. You want to touch him, run your hands over the planes of his back and chest. His fingers tighten around your wrists, and suddenly he pulls your arms over your head, breaking the kiss in order to turn you around. 

"Hands behind my neck." He instructs. 

You have to stretch to reach, but you manage to barely link your fingers at the base of his neck, leaving your body completely open and exposed to him. His lips are against your ear as his hands roam over your body, tracing up your sides and to the swell of your breasts. He rolls them beneath his palms, squeezing them together and letting them fall. He moves to rolling your nipples between his fingertips, tugging them into sharp peaks beneath his touch. 

You arch your back when he pinches both of your nipples, sending a jolt of pleasurable pain through your body. "Kei, please let me touch you," you whimper. 

"Not yet," his breath is hot in your ear. He runs a palm down your stomach, snaking over your wet skin until he reaches between your legs. You gasp as he runs a finger over your damp slit, not quite dipping inside. He starts slowly rubbing your clit with the pads of his fingers. You unwillingly move your hips against his hand, urging him on. 

You can feel his erection press into your back as he continues his teasingly slow ministrations. He grinds his hips against you and presses his mouth to a particularly sensitive spot on your neck. A moan catches in your throat when he starts sucking on your flesh, leaving the first of many bruises you're sure to get while you're with him. 

"You like when I mark you, don't you?" He applies more pressure on your clit, leaving you gasping and writhing against him. The tip of his tongue runs over your neck and down to your shoulder, where he bites down again. 

"Fuck!" You cry out. Your pussy involuntarily clenches around nothing. You buck into his hand. The attention he's giving you is only enough to build pressure without pushing you over the edge. 

"You're such a mess." He splits your nether lips open, exposing you to the downpour of water. Your body twitches beneath the unfamiliar sensation on your clit, amplified by your heightened sensitivity. "You just want me to get you off." 

You throw your head back against his shoulder, supporting yourself against his frame. "Please, Kei. I need more."

"Patience." He draws the word out against your ear. He gives your clit a few more teasing strokes before his hands leave your body entirely. Even with the warm water, the absence of his touch makes you shiver. 

He reaches over and shuts the water off, telling you to hurry and dry off. Despite your trembling legs, you manage to obey him, your eyes not leaving his nude form as you towel off. He leaves the bathroom as you squeeze the water out of your hair, doing your best to not get water all over his bathroom floor. 

Kei is sitting on the edge of the bed by the time you leave the bathroom, giving you a predatory look while he jacks himself off, twisting his wrist with every few strokes. 

"Condoms are in the nightstand." He says. You can feel the weight of his gaze as you locate the unopened box and retrieve one of the foil packets. "I want you to sit on my dick. Can you do that for me,  _ darling _ ?" He may as well have called you a slur, given how he said the name. 

You nod, words suddenly failing you. You rip open the packet and move between his legs. You take his length in your hand, giving it a few small strokes before you roll the condom over his cock. When he shows no sign of moving, you climb on top of him, steadying yourself with your hands on his shoulders. Your knees settle on either side of his legs as you hover over him. 

"Help me?" You ask timidly. He smirks in response, and starts rubbing his covered length over your slit, gathering your arousal over the tip. You his loudly as he guides himself into you, stretching your walls around him. You slowly lower your hips until you swear you can feel him in your stomach. 

"You're so fucking tight," he moans. His hands go to your waist, holding you in place, giving you the chance to accommodate to his size. You tentatively roll your hips against his, causing him to exhale sharply out of his nose. 

It doesn't take you long to understand the appeal behind this position. You can feel every inch of him as you start bouncing in his lap, your thighs flexing with the motion. Your nails dig into his shoulders, leaving half-moon indents in his skin. 

"Kei.." you whine, your lips unable to form a coherent sentence. Your back arches, bringing your bouncing tits further into his field of vision. 

"Cum on my dick, you little slut." His voice is low and demanding. He starts rubbing your clit in time with your movements, not stopping even as your orgasm hits you, causing you to see stars across your vision. You clench around him, your body trembling with the sheer force of the sensation. His other hand goes to your hip, encouraging you to continue your movements. 

You're quickly reaching the point of overstimulation. You can tell how close he is by the way his breaths start coming out in low groans and from the red splotches on his chest. Your forehead drops down to his shoulder as you force yourself to keep going. He continues his assault on your clit, quickly bringing you right back to the edge of another release. 

"Good girl, good girl." He chants in your ear. You're not used to him being so vocal. The praise turns you into a whimpering mess. You're sure he knows what his voice does to you when he continues. "You take me so well. Don't fucking stop."

You're unable to respond, your voice reduced to nothing but warbled moans. He presses between your legs a final time, sending your release crashing over you once more. Unable to contain yourself, you bite down on the skin just beneath his collarbone. 

"M-more of that." The desperation in his voice surprises you. You feel his hand come to the back of your head, tangling in your hair. You're more than happy to meet his request. You sink your teeth into another spot, drawing out another whine from him. "Fuck Mei. Fuck."

His arms close around you as he bucks his hips. You feel him spasm inside of you, the condom doing little to mask the surge of warmth as he cums inside of you. 

You slow your movements to a stop and instinctively move to roll away from him. He tightens his arms around you, bringing you flush against his heaving chest. You resist the urge to voice your shock at him holding you, deciding to wrap your arms around his neck and nuzzle against him. 

"Sorry for biting you," you mumble against his skin. 

"Don't be stupid." He slowly shifts and pulls himself out of you, holding your shaking frame steady against his own. "Are you up for going to dinner?"

You raise your head just enough to look him in the eye. "Oh, so now you ask me on a date."

"Not my fault you're so easy." He retorts, giving you a half-smile that lets you know he's only joking. He somewhat playfully shoves you to the bed beside of him and tugs the condom off, quickly tying it off before he rises. Your eyes roam over his backside when he goes to the kitchen. 

He returns a few moments later, tugging your suitcase behind him. "I've never actually been in this situation, but I feel the need to leave you alone while you get ready."

"Never have a girl stay over?" You remain on the bed, watching as he retrieves his glasses from the bathroom and starts pulling clothes out of his drawers. 

"If I'm being honest, not in this capacity." He starts dressing himself, pulling on a pair of boxer briefs and a fitted t-shirt. "What about you?"

"I've had plenty of girls stay over." You give him a wide grin. 

He stops getting ready and faces you, his eyes narrowed. "Be serious."

"Let's save this conversation for when I'm not sitting naked on your bed." You cross your arms over your chest, suddenly feeling exposed. 

He nods and disappears into the closet for a moment, coming back with a pair of jeans over his arm. "Get ready then."

You agree quietly, waiting for him to leave the room and shut the door before you collapse back against the sheets and stare up at the ceiling. 

_ This will be a fun conversation.  _

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love. <3 even if you're just leaving a word or two!
> 
> I've decided that my next pairing will be Kenma x Reader. I think he's probably my favorite character in the entire series. 
> 
> I'm doing my best to write at least 500-1000 words per day so I can update regularly for you guys!


	3. Plaything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're just too innocent for Kei to handle.

You wake up the next morning with a weight on your chest. Not an emotional weight, no, a physical weight. 

Your eyes slide open only to find that Kei Tsukishima,  _ the  _ Kei Tsukishima, had wormed his way underneath the crook of your arm and nestled his head on your chest. One of his arms is thrown over your waist, and his long legs are tangled around yours. You can't see his face, but his lack of movement tells you he's still dead asleep. 

You can't stop the smile that grows across your face. 

You risk bending your arm just enough to brush your fingers through his hair. When he doesn't react, you shift slightly, adjusting him into a more comfortable position under your arm. 

This causes him to stir. The arm around your waist tightens almost uncomfortably, and he buries his face deeper in your chest. His whisper is so faint that you almost miss it. 

"Stay."

///

Kei doesn’t want to move. Moving would mean he would have to slide back into his apathetic demeanor. Moving would mean that he would have to start pushing you away when you got too affectionate. 

He wanted to stay in bed with you forever, feigning sleep. 

He wanted to try to forget the way you’d reached across the table to take his hand when he opened up about his past experiences with relationships. He wanted to forget the weird but endearing way you took giant bites of pizza and covered your mouth every time you chewed. He wanted to forget that you were only here for a week. 

It had literally been one night, and he was already getting attached. He wanted to fight it, but  _ something _ kept him from pushing those feelings aside. 

It didn’t help that you had responded with such  _ kindness _ when he told you that relationships weren’t his strong suit. Your eyes had softened when he described the reasons why he normally stuck to one night flings when he was out on the road. You seemed to understand that he’d built up walls through the entirety of his life. 

You had shared your experiences too, or the lack thereof. You had only ever been in one serious relationship in college that happened to have ended shortly before the two of you had met. 

You had been hurt. 

Kei didn’t quite want to admit to the swell of anger that grew in his chest when he found out about how your last partner had left you. Instead, he let you hold his hand a little tighter. He returned your kisses a little firmer. 

He’s afraid of the distance, afraid of the attachment, afraid of the vulnerability. But most of all, he’s afraid of his own feelings toward a woman he was only supposed to sleep with a couple of times before moving on permanently. 

He tells himself that all the gestures he’s making are out of sheer courtesy. He didn’t quite get why he had asked you here in the first place, other than  _ something _ telling him that maybe this time could be different. 

His conflicting thoughts slowly ease off as your fingers comb through his hair. Whether you realize it or not, you being near him causes all of his thoughts to cease. 

He decides he doesn’t mind it. 

///

"Do you always take this long to get ready?" Kei calls to you from the kitchen. 

You're scrambling around in his bedroom, trying to put yourself together for a day out with him. He wanted to take you to the museum where he worked and show you his favorite parts of the city. Torch! was going to be playing in a small show tomorrow night, followed by a house party at Kuro’s, so he’d wanted to have a day of just the two of you beforehand. Always planning, that one. 

"I'd already be ready if SOMEONE didn't take so long to get out of bed!" You retort.

"Did it bother you?" His voice is closer to the door now. 

You move closer to the door, tucking your v-neck blouse into your skirt. "No," you murmur. 

"Then stop complaining." He huffs. You hear him move away again.

You roll your eyes and suppress a giggle. You don't tell him that part of the reason why it took you so long was your fear of completely destroying his bathroom. Your own bathroom at home was a complete wreck, with makeup and skincare products thrown all over the place. Kei had insisted that you unpack  _ correctly _ , meaning everything had been taken out of your suitcase and put into drawers or his closet. 

It felt a little strange, you had to admit. Seeing your clothes carefully lined up to his in the closet wasn't something you'd ever imagine happening. It stressed you out a little--you suddenly felt an immense amount of pressure to maintain Kei's level of organization. 

You move into the bathroom and give yourself a once-over. You're a bit nervous about what Kei will think of you in your normal attire, a stark contrast to the alternative girl image you gave yourself whenever you went to his shows. You knew you didn't quite fit in with him wearing your flowy skirts that hit just above the knee, paired with simple blouses and natural makeup. You carefully applied an extra touch of concealer to your neck, covering the purple and blue bites Kei had left the night before. 

Somewhat satisfied, you leave the bedroom to find Kei standing at the sink, rinsing a coffee mug. You're almost aggravated at how effortlessly put together he always seems to look, even on days like today when he's wearing baggier black shorts and a deep green t-shirt. 

"I'm ready." You say quietly, coming to stand beside him at the sink. 

"Finally." Kei places the mug on the drying rack and slips on his familiar silver rings, one on each of his index and forefingers. He gives you a sideways glance and quickly snaps his eyes back to the sink. "Is this what you wear normally?"

"Mhm. When I'm not too tired to actually get ready. Something wrong?" Your hands smooth over your skirt self-consciously. 

"You're pretty." You're grateful that he's not looking at you while he speaks, keeping him from seeing the blush rising on your face. 

"Thanks," you mumble, quickly turning around before he can see your reaction. He doesn't let you get far, reaching out to catch your shoulder before you can completely face away. His hand slides down your arm and circles your wrist, pulling you to his chest. His other hand grips your jaw. He tugs your chin up sharply and brings his mouth to yours, kissing you much deeper than you had anticipated. 

"You almost look innocent." He breathes, his lips hovering just over yours. The hand around your wrist moves to your hip, bunching up the fabric of your skirt while his grip on your jaw tightens. He jerks your head to the side, exposing your neck. He runs his tongue over your concealer-covered skin, causing you to involuntarily shiver. "But I know what's under here."

"You're going to rub my makeup off!" You protest. You try to turn your head but his grip on your jaw only tightens further. 

“That a problem? Thought you were my plaything.” He slides the hand on your hip beneath your skirt and kneads your thigh. He peppers kisses over your neck and up to your ear. “But I will stop, if you want.”

“I thought you were wanting to get out of here.” You can feel your body start responding to him. You slip your hands underneath his shirt, running them over his abdomen. Your nails trace over the familiar planes of his chest. You flick his nipples hesitantly, unsure of how he would respond. When his breath hitches, you continue paying attention to his chest, unable to stop yourself from grinning at your discovery. His hips grind against yours, and you can feel the bulge beneath his shorts. “Let me take care of you.”

Kei jerks your head upright and gazes down at you with intense eyes. He slips his thumb in your mouth. You close your lips around it, sucking eagerly. “You  _ are _ a good girl.” His voice is gravely with want. 

You run your hands down his stomach and down to the waistband of his shorts, keeping your eyes locked on his. Your movements are teasingly slow as you pull down the zipper and slip your hand inside. Your slender fingers curl around his length and give him a few quick strokes before pulling his half-hard dick through the opening. You use your tongue to push his thumb out of your mouth and spit in your hand, using it as makeshift lubrication as you continue jerking him off. You occasionally flick your thumb over his slit, causing him to twitch each time. 

“Get on your knees,” he demands, releasing your face from his grip. You respond almost immediately, dropping to your knees in front of him. Before you can take him in your mouth, his fingers curl in your hair, holding your head in place. “Mouth open, tongue out.” When you comply, he drags the tip of his cock over your tongue, not quite entering your mouth. You can feel him pulse on the surface of your tongue as your warm breath hits him. 

Kei’s nails dig into your scalp as he pulls your head forward, driving his full length to the back of your throat. Your nose is pushed against the rough fabric of his shorts, and your body spasms with the sudden lack of air. He pulls you back after a moment, leaving you sputtering as your lungs are filled again. 

“You better keep your throat open.” He warns. He waits for you to catch your breath before slamming into your open mouth once again. You fight against your gag reflex, digging your nails into your palm as you fight to keep your body under control. You swallow around his cock, causing him to gasp. “Such a good girl, letting me use your mouth like this.” Tears spring to your eyes as he starts pistoning in and out of your mouth, hitting the back of your throat with each thrust. You can’t focus on the drool pooling around the sides of your mouth or the stinging of your scalp; the only thing you can think about is grabbing precious lungfuls of air between thrusts.

You look up to see that Kei has thrown his head back, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as he groans. “Fuck, you feel so good. Fuck. Need to use you like this more.” His words make you want to moan, but no sound escapes you. Instead you shakily grab on to his upper thighs, squeezing encouragingly. You have no choice but to swallow as he pushes into you once final, forceful time, his dick spasming it spurts hot cum down your abused throat. 

You run your tongue under his length, milking him until he finally stops cumming. You’re left panting on the floor as he pulls out of your mouth and tucks himself back into his shorts and zips them back up. You wipe your mouth off with the back of your hand, taking unsteady breaths as you try to ignore the arousal pooling between your legs.

It's a scary thought, but you  _ like _ being used by him. You like feeling helpless to his desires. 

He reaches down and pulls you to your feet, holding you steady while he finger combs your hair back into place. “You did so good,” he whispers. You let out a sharp exhale when his attention goes to your face, brushing away the tears that have fallen from your eyes. “You look beautiful when you’re wrecked like this, Mei.”

“I do not.” Your face turns crimson. You avert your eyes to the floor, staring at the space between the two of you. 

“Believe what you want.” He clicks his tongue and yanks you into his arms so he can pick you up and sit you down on the counter. He stands between your knees, his hands running up your thighs beneath your skirt. “Why do you think I kept coming back to you?”

“Because you think I’m eas--Kei!” Your words are cut short as a long finger traces over your entrance, pushing the fabric of your underwear into your slick pussy. You press your hand against your mouth, muffling your moans as he rubs your clit in small circles. 

“Enough of that.” He shoots you a glare and it's enough for you to drop your hand. You rest your head against the cabinet behind you, gazing into his eyes as he continues rubbing your clothed sex. “I couldn’t fuck anyone else without thinking about--” he pushes your underwear to the side and slides two fingers inside of you, making your face twist in arousal, “--this. The way you respond to me. You’re so damn wet just from me fucking your throat, aren’t you?”

“Shit! Kei, yes. I like when you use me.” You whimper. You grip the edge of the countertop, your back arching as he finds your g-spot. His other hand pulls your shirt down lower, exposing the swell of your cleavage. He bends over and starts sucking purple bruises into your breasts, leaving marks just below where your shirts would normally cover. 

“That’s my plaything,” he coos against your skin. His palm grinds against your clit as he continues pumping his fingers in and out of you, focusing on reaching your most sensitive area with each movement. Your moans fall into small cries as your pussy clenches around him. You’re already close thanks to both his words and his actions. You can feel a familiar tightening in your lower stomach, your nerves becoming frayed as you buck into his hand.

His lips brush against your ear as he speaks to you in a low tone. “That’s right. Cum on my fingers. Be a good girl.” He picks up the pace, quickly sending you over the edge. Your vision goes white as you spasm around him. You moan incoherently, unable to form words as your orgasm crashes over you, making your legs shake and your arms tremble.

He waits for you to come down before sliding his fingers out of you, letting your underwear fall back into place. You cringe at the sudden dampness of the fabric covering your throbbing entrance. You watch as he sucks your arousal off his fingers, giving you a cocky look as he does. 

“Now I think we’re ready to go out.” He chuckles, rubbing the side of your head almost affectionately. “Ready for me to show you the museum?” 

“I need to change my underwear.” You lean into his touch, not quite able to meet his eyes. Your mind is reeling over what he’d said to you. You were certain it was just a heat of the moment admission--there was no way that he couldn’t get you out of his head. You weren’t  _ that _ special. 

He gives you a devilish look as he steps away from you, giving you room to hop off the counter. 

“No you don’t.”

///

You’re standing in front of a full-sized skeleton of a tyrannosaurus rex, listening to Kei as he gives you random facts about the long-extinct species. He gave you more information than any of the educational placards ever could, easily pulling out tidbits of information from every paleontology exhibit you came across. The dinosaur lessons weren't what you were enjoying the most, however. You had never heard Kei talk so much at once, and listening to him speak about something he enjoyed so much was making you irrationally happy.

“So, we think this old girl was at least 28 when she died, give or take.” Kei says, watching your face as you stare up at the T-Rex’s teeth. 

“How do you know she was a girl?” You ask.

“Come here.” He takes your hand and guides you to the back of the skeleton. He points at the hind legs, close to what you assumed to be the beast’s pelvic bones. “Scientists were able to analyze some preserved soft tissue from her femur that indicated she might’ve ovulated at some point. That, and females tend to be broader in this area.”

“Kind of like us,” you muse, absorbing his words. 

He chuckles at your comparison. “Kind of.”

“Is this one your favorite?”

“You expect me to pick just one?” He shakes his head. “Could you pick a favorite author?”

You tap your jaw, mentally cataloguing all the books that had left an impact on you. “Probably not,” you admit.

“Look up,” he nudges you slightly. You look up to see a large pterodactyl skeleton strung from the ceiling. “We can see him closer if we go upstairs, but I think it’s kind of cool to picture him flying up above first. You know, there’s no evidence that our modern day birds descend from pterodactyl’s, but research shows that they had throat pouches, like pelicans do. You see how long his neck is?”

“That would make sense. Pelicans have long necks too.” You nod. “How do you know all this?”

“It’s kind of my job to know everything we have at the museum.” He shrugs, looking somewhat embarrassed by your question. You’re aware that his job as the assistant to the registrar meant that he had an active hand in cataloguing all the exhibits, but…

“Something tells me you couldn’t tell me this much about the Greek statues.” You smirk up at him. 

His jaw tightens. “Am I boring you?”

“Not at all.” You squeeze his hand affectionately. “I think it’s cool that you know this much about dinosaurs.”

“It’s not that cool.” His face reddens, much to your amusement.

He pulls you along to the next exhibit, automatically launching into a spiel about velociraptors and their behavior. You can’t help but notice how his arm moves to your waist and pulls you to his side as a group of men pass by, holding you there as he continues his monologue. You decide not to comment, choosing to relish the contact. 

_ Don’t think about how good he smells or how his arm feels around you. _

You squeeze your eyes shut for a moment, pushing back the self-deprecating thoughts of how you’re not someone Kei could actually like. You rest your head against his chest, letting yourself decide that maybe, just maybe, you could let yourself fall for him. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo sorry this chapter was about 1k words shorter than normal. T_T But I hope you all enjoyed it!
> 
> Full disclaimer: I know nothing about dinosaurs. 
> 
> I hesitated to write in Tsukki's POV, since this is supposed to be a reader story. I'm kind of liking it though!
> 
> The next chapter will be more plot heavy. I'm REALLY looking forward to writing some more Kuro moments. Hehe. 
> 
> Fun fact, I should've been studying for a certification exam today, but instead I wrote this. I'll be good and go study now...


	4. Sincerely, Yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief history of Torch!, and Tadashi being the best friend we know he is.

Pre-show rituals were a  _ thing _ . A thing that Kei didn't take lightly even when it came to small shows like the one Torch! was gearing up to play. For Kei, getting ready to perform involved chugging down an energy drink and smoking no fewer than two cigarettes to quell the anxiety that always seemed to stir in the half hour that led up to stepping on stage. Yes, Kei was very aware that consuming so many stimulants typically exacerbates nervousness, but the acts in themselves were what calmed Kei more than anything. 

Tonight's venue was a special place for the band, despite not having a stage quite large enough for a full performance. The Crooked Jester could almost be considered their birthplace--long before Torch! became a group, Kei and Kuro would play acoustic covers of popular songs on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week. This went on for the better part of a year, until Kuro happened to venture to the bar on a Monday night. According to Kuro, he struck up a conversation with a man named Daichi, who just  _ happened _ to be in a long term relationship with the Monday night performer, who just  _ happened _ to be Suga.

(This naturally goes against Suga’s retelling of the night. According to Suga, “Kuro was coming on to Daichi so hard that I almost told him to take him home so I could catch a break”. Kei had immediately tuned out from the rest of that conversation.)

Suga’s voice and natural gift for song writing had been a major stepping stone for Torch!. And, as much as Kei hated to admit it, his connection with a certain keyboardist-turned-drummer named Shoyo Hinata had been even more crucial to their development. Hinata had a  _ voice _ , too. Not as good as Suga's, but he made for a perfect back up. Hinata had an  _ energy _ about him that drove the rest of them to up their own performances. (Yes, even Kei. He despised Hinata's existence for a while there--why did someone so annoying get to be so talented?) For the first several months of Torch!’s existence, they were limited to The Crooked Jester’s small space. Despite this, they managed to amass a following, thanks to Suga’s lyrics and their overall chemistry together. They put out their first two albums during that time, and earned regular plays on local radio stations.

Then Hinata decided that he wanted to start drumming for Torch!, apparently having grown somewhat bored with playing keyboards for a primarily acoustic band. That required a new practice space, a new sound, and more connections. It had been a risky move, but shifting into punk rock had been what made Torch! the moderately successful band it was today. 

If someone were to ask Kei how long Torch! had been a band, he’d give them two answers: seven years since they’d met, and four since they’d really found their sound. 

The four of them had agreed--no matter how successful they grew, they would always make time for The Crooked Jester. They never advertised their shows there, instead relying on word of mouth among the local scene to draw crowds. Torch! also reverted back to their acoustic origins whenever they played there, due to lack of space and nostalgia purposes. Kei always enjoyed these shows; they were much more intimate, and the people who typically showed up had been the fans that watched them grow throughout the years. 

Kei couldn’t quite bring himself to admit that he was more nervous about you meeting the band and everyone involved with their shows than he was about you meeting his actual family. That was part of the reason why he’d asked Kenma, Kuro’s best friend and roommate, to pick you up before the show. He needed the time to get ready to perform, not stress about the potential of Hinata enthusiastically telling you all of his most embarrassing moments from the last several years. He could deal with that after the show. 

That line of thinking probably explains why he’d managed to suck down two cigarettes without realizing it. 

And there are still thirty minutes before they’re supposed to start.

_ Calm the fuck down, Kei. _

He and Suga were sitting on a bench just outside the back entrance of The Crooked Jester. Even though Suga had stopped smoking a few years ago, he still joined Kei whenever he went outside. Kei didn’t mind--Suga knew when to be quiet, which was more than he could say about most people. 

“Another?” Suga asks quietly as Kei lights his third cigarette.

“Yep.” Kei responds, not offering any further explanation. He knows his fingertips are probably going to be stained yellow by the time the show starts, but he can’t focus on that right now. He wonders if you’ll notice something like that. You weren’t outwardly the observant type, but seeing as you had picked up on his nearly obsessive orderliness, he wouldn’t put it past you. 

Suga rests his head on the wall behind them, letting his eyes fall shut. “You really make me miss smoking.”

“You say that every time.” Kei leans forward, holding his cigarette between his lips as his elbows settle on his knees. 

“Part of the routine.” Suga chuckles. 

Kei smokes quietly for a few moments, the silence only being broken by Suga’s occasional dramatic inhales. Kei has always heard that cigarette smoke smells horrible after you quit, but that had apparently not been the case for Suga. 

Just as Kei thinks he’s finally able to focus, he’s torn out of his thoughts by Hinata swinging the door open, letting it bang against the side of the building. Kuro’s close behind, of course. Kei’s face does little to mask his irritation. Both of them are fully aware that he  _ needs _ this time. Just because they didn’t nearly dissolve into a pile of nerves before every show didn’t mean that was the case for Kei.

“Kenma just got here with Mei. I think he likes her.” When Kei doesn’t respond to Kuro’s taunting words, he continues reading from his phone. “Quote: ‘She recognized me. This is weird.’ ‘She wrote one of those clickbait articles about me.’ ‘God, get me out of here.’ ‘Wait, never mind.’ ‘It was one of the good ones.’ ‘I’m getting her a better job.’”

Kei raises an eyebrow. He didn’t know you had written about Kenma, better known as Kodzuken in the online world. He pulls his own phone out of his pocket and against his better judgement, decides to start searching for the article. Much to his surprise, a Google search leads to Kenma’s Twitter page, where he had just tweeted out a link to said article and tagged your handle in his post. He quickly skims through the article, where you discussed some of the reasonings behind Kenma’s nearly overnight surge in popularity. He’s fully aware that Suga is openly reading over his shoulder. 

“Your girl must be pretty good at what she does if Kenma’s endorsing her.” Suga comments. 

Kei is far too absorbed in what he’s reading to consider his response. “She is.”

It takes Kei a solid minute to figure out that the other men have gone silent at his response. When he finally looks up to toss his cigarette butt into a nearby container, he’s met with three sets of eyes, all mischievously glinting back at him. “What?”

“So she’s your  _ girl _ , Skinny?” Kuro smirks. 

Kei shoots Suga a murderous glare. “She’s not my--”  _ Jesus fuck.  _ “--can we not talk about this?”

“So she’s not, then?” Hinata looks alarmingly troubled at the thought. “Why’d you want her to meet us?”

“You’re already making me regret that decision.” Kei shoves his glasses up the bridge of his nose and stands up, moving toward the door.

“Tsukishima.” Kuro stands in front of the door, blocking Kei’s path with his broad frame. “Don’t tell me you flew Miss Hotel Girl all the way out here just so you could get your rocks off.”

Kei’s flushes out of anger and slight embarrassment. “For your information, I don’t need her for that.”

“Are you telling me she’s available then?” Kei is fully aware that Kuro is just trying to get a reaction out of him, but that doesn’t make the situation any easier. Kuro had always been that way when it came to Kei; he would taunt him just enough to get the answers he was looking for. 

“Don’t even try it.” Kei  _ knows _ he’s just feeding into Kuro’s antics, but the thought of him (or anyone else, really) flirting with you was enough to make his stomach hurt and his chest tighten. It was an unfamiliar feeling to him, one that he currently didn’t have the mental capacity to analyze thoroughly. He forces himself to smile, resulting in what Kei can only assume is a disturbing grimace. “Now if you’ll excuse me.”

Kei chooses to ignore Kuro’s half-serious comment about “locking that shit down” as he ducks inside. He nearly collides with a somewhat frantic Tadashi in the process. Even though Tadashi wasn’t the one stepping on stage, he still got notably nervous before any of their performances. 

“Um, fifteen minutes Tsukki!” Tadashi stops just short of slamming into Kei’s chest. 

“Thanks.” Kei mutters. He stares down at the familiar freckles that cover his best friend’s cheeks. If there was anyone who could help Kei make sense of the swarm of thoughts running through his head, it was Tadashi. “Hey, I gotta talk to you later.” 

Tadashi’s brow furrows. “Sure. Are you going to be okay?”

_ No, _ his brain screams.  _ I’m about to go in front of a crowd and all I can focus on is knowing she’s out there watching and I can’t just pretend she’s a girl I plan on railing in a hotel room later. _

“When am I not?” Kei rolls his eyes and brushes past Tadashi, navigating through the cramped break area that was serving as a makeshift green room. He makes his way to the employee bathroom and locks himself inside. He leans against the door, not bothering to turn the light on. Instead he squeezes his eyes shut, as if the lack of vision will block the flood of thoughts streaming through his brain. He twists one of his rings around his finger, the motion somewhat easing the urge to claw at his own skin. 

The logical part of his mind tells him that none of what he's doing is a good idea. You're young, you're brilliant and beautiful and he has no way of living up to whatever standards you might have for a partner. The overwhelming feeling of _not being good_ _enough_ threatens to take over. Nothing he ever does is enough. There's always _something_ that he's missing. _Something_ that keeps him from reaching perfection, whether it's a missed note, or a fingerprint on a window. Always _something._

But dammit, he had wanted to say yes when Kuro asked if you were his. 

  
  


///

  
  


" _ Be my high-speed heartache  _

_ Shot down from the start _

_ We scream until our voices break _

_ Fuck me for trying, fuck you for lying  _

_ My high-speed heartbreak…" _

Kei feels oddly calm for once as he plays, despite his near panic in the bathroom. Maybe he just knows he's playing well. The music feels alive, steady. He can barely see the crowd between the focused lights on the stage and the dim lighting in the rest of the bar, still, it had been easy picking out the shape of your silhouette sandwiched between Kenma and Daichi at one of the far tables. He knows this isn't the type of show that brings people jumping to their feet or makes them want to shout along to the lyrics, rather, it's the type of show that lets the onlookers settle into their high-top barstools and hum along. He's very aware that all he has to do is stand there and attempt to look cool while he plays (perk #47 of being a bassist), yet he still finds himself grooving with the steady, slow rhythm. 

"I wanted to thank you guys again for coming out here tonight." Suga's voice, clear and sharp as ever, echoes out once  _ High-speed Heartache _ closes out. Kei continues playing, shifting into the final song in their set, adding a bit of background to Suga's words. "I feel the need to be a bit real here. I can be real with my hometown friends, right?"

Kei raises an eyebrow and glances at Kuro, who shrugs in response and adds a soft melody to Kei's notes. There's a long chorus of affirmatives from the bar patrons. 

"I never thought that the four of us would be touring all over the country. Big secret, right?" Suga pauses. "But we wouldn't have gotten here without the help of a lot of people, and most of them are here tonight. I think part of success and moving forward in life is learning to rely on those around us. I hope that all of you here have those people in your life, and if you don't, maybe you just need to look a little harder."

_ Jesus Christ, Suga _ . 

"WE LOVE YOU SUGA!" Someone shouts. It takes Kei a second to recognize it as Ryu. 

"Love you too!" Suga scratches the back of his head sheepishly. "Anyway, before I get too sappy…" he turns his head and gives the rest of the band a small nod, letting Hinata know to come in on drums. 

(Kei loves and hates this particular song, not that he'd ever tell Suga.)

" _ Dear pretty girl with the cigarette smile, _

_ Can you tell me the secrets behind those eyes? _

_ You see I've been dying to know  _

_ The story of why they glow.  _

_ You hold the stars in your gaze _

_ You captured my thoughts with one small taste _

_ Of how it feels _

_ When you say my name.  _

_ Sincerely, _

_ The man who still can't admit  _

_ That he's got a fear of falling for that nicotine kiss _

  
  


_ Dear pretty girl, it's been a long while  _

_ Can I tell you the secret behind my lies? _

_ You see I've been dying to show _

_ The man I wish you'd known.  _

_ Sincerely, _

_ The man who still can't admit _

_ That this time when you walked away the fault was his  _

  
  


_ Dear pretty girl, you know I like your style _

_ Can you tell me why you stayed this time? _

_ You see I'm dying to know _

_ The reason you won't let go.  _

_ Sincerely, _

_ The man who still can't admit  _

_ That he's in too deep to ever miss this  _

  
  


_ Dear pretty girl, dear pretty girl…" _

Kei risks breaking his focus long enough to look out to where he knows you're sitting as Suga reaches the chorus of the song. He can't see your face, but knowing you're there…

" _ Dear pretty girl, _

_ Stay just one more night _

_ You'll see _

_ I'm not quite ready to say goodbye _

_ To the way your kiss _

_ Sends shivers through my spine.  _

_ Sincerely, sincerely _

_ Sincerely yours _

_ Sincerely yours." _

Kei's mind blanks a bit, so much so that he nearly misses the shift into the refrain. He's played _Sincerely, Yours (Dear Pretty Girl)_ hundreds of times without thinking about it, hell, he's played hundreds of Suga's depressing love songs hundreds of times without thinking about them, so what makes this time any different from the rest? 

He's almost thankful when the song finally ends and Suga waves to the crowd with a cheery "thank you!". Kei gives the audience his typical short head nod in response to their cheers before unhooking his bass's strap and letting it fall from his shoulder. 

"Is playing acoustic what it takes to get you to perform like that?" Kuro wastes no time in approaching him as he goes to place his guitar on its stand. "Or was there something else on your mind?"

"Don't waste time trying to figure it out." Kei bristles. He ignores the way that Suga and Hinata are eyeing him curiously as he all but darts off the stage and back into the employee breakroom. He needed air before he tried to make nice at the obligatory meet and greet. He knew that the rest of the group would make their way back there in a few minutes, yet that didn't stop him from taking the chance to gather his thoughts. 

Fortunately his cigarettes are still on a shelf beside the door. He grabs the pack and ducks outside, immediately reaching for his lighter that had been tucked away in the pocket of his jeans. He's too antsy to sit down and smoke, instead he paces around, leaving a trail of smoke clouding around his head. 

It doesn't take long for Tadashi to join him outside. "Suga said we'd be back to see everyone in five-ish minutes." 

"Five-ish?" Kei stops pacing and holds his cigarette away from his friend. 

"Yeah well, Hinata turned a little green after you left, so…" Tadashi shrugs and sits down on the bench. 

"Since when did he start puking after shows?" Kei huffs out a laugh. 

"Honestly? It's better for my nerves if he does it after." Tadashi's eyes soften. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Kei's automatic response does little to sway Tadashi's gaze. Tadashi had a way of seeing straight through Kei, a fact that he sometimes resented. "I might have a problem."

"Yeah, Hinata said you got a little irritated earlier." Tadashi leans his head against the wall. "I thought this was what you wanted, Tsukki."

Kei takes a long drag, letting the smoke pour out of his mouth while he speaks. "I'd be a really shitty boyfriend."  _ God I hate that word.  _ "She probably wouldn't want to tie herself down to me anyway."

"You're considering her feelings, that's good." Tadashi chuckles. 

"Are you saying I don't normally?" Kei's eyebrows knit together in irritation. 

"No, no. At least not openly." Tadashi sighs. "I take it things are going well then."

"Yeah." Kei fidgets with the hem of his shirt. "It's just weird for me. I'm discovering that I don't mind her just existing in the same space as I do. This morning she sat on the couch with a coffee mug that was way too full and I didn't really care."

Tadashi covers his mouth with his hand, obviously fighting back laughter. "Sorry, Tsukki, but if anyone else had said that I'd call them insane."

"Shut up." Kei flings his cigarette into the nearby container. "Does it not make sense?"

"For you it does. You should just talk to her, you know. Ask her what she wants." Tadashi stretches his legs out, letting himself recover from his previous nervousness. 

"Okay."

"Okay you will, or--?"

"Okay, I will." Kei smirks. 

As if on cue, the door opens once again. Kei looks up, expecting to see someone involved with the show. Instead he sees you hesitantly come outside, your eyes darting from Kei to Tadashi. 

"The guy at the bar said I could come out here." You seem a bit flustered, as if you'd been caught doing something wrong. "Am I interrupting?"

"Guy with the shaved head, or the guy with the headband?" Tadashi asks. 

"Shaved head." 

"Ryu, or Tanaka. Whatever you want to call him." Kei finds himself zeroing in on the way your cheeks are slightly flushed and the glint in your eyes. He decides to ignore Tadashi's watchful eyes and approaches you, tilting your chin up with one finger. "How'd we do?"

"Awesome. Like, really, really awesome." Your breathless reply provides Kei with a sense of validation he wasn't aware that he needed. "I'd like to come to another show like this one."

"Well, we only do those here." Kei cocks his head to the side. 

"Would you let me come back?" Your eyes shift to the ground. 

"Obviously." Kei can't bring himself to come up with a snarky comment. Instead he leans down and presses a kiss to your forehead, another to your nose, and finally on your lips. He surprises himself with how tender the gesture is, and how  _ natural _ the whole thing felt. 

Tadashi clears his throat loudly. "I think our five-ish minutes are up."

"I'm sorry! I'm going to go hide in the back with Kenma again. Your friends are a little terrifying, Kei, but Kenma's pretty easy to be around." The way your face reddens is incredibly endearing. "Um, I'll find you when it's time to head to Kuro’s, okay?"

"Don't bug Kenma too much now." He reaches behind you to open the door and nudges you back inside. Tadashi moves to follow you, shooting Kei a glance that can only be read as one thing:

_ You have nothing to worry about.  _ __

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW I FEEL LIKE I JUST BARED MY SOUL TO YOU ALL. 
> 
> Song lyrics are something I've never done, so I'm a bit terrified of posting this one. ^^; Please be gentle. 
> 
> Fun facts for this chapter: Hinata almost became a full time keyboardist instead of a drummer. But then I realized that I'd need a fifth member as a drummer, and I legit couldn't decide if I wanted to attempt to write Bokuto or not. I still might add in a fifth member. I've kind of set myself up to do so (it makes sense in my head, promise).
> 
> I've started an isekai AU. It hasn't been posted yet. If it ever gets to the point where I've done enough world building to share it on here, I will!
> 
> Thank y'all for the comments on here so far! Your encouragement really means the world to me. 
> 
> *casually updates chapter count to 8*


	5. Blame the Alcohol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are hard to accept, and even harder to convey.

HInata was staring at you. And you were staring back, albeit, not as intensely as he was. You aren’t sure how someone so full of sunshine manages to maintain so much focus. You could feel the slightest movements from Kenma beside you as he tapped away on his phone, and there was a dark-haired man next to Hinata. You couldn't quite remember his name, but that wasn't important right now. 

Hinata's eyes narrow slightly.  _ Blink dammit.  _ This had gone on way too long, but you had a secret competitive streak and you weren't about to let Hinata win one over on you. 

That was until Hinata reached across the table faster than you could react. He presses his fingers to the covered bruise on your neck with a rather concerning amount of accuracy. You involuntarily flench, letting out a squeak of surprise. 

"HA! You blinked Mei!" Hinata grins triumphantly.

"No I didn't!" You protest, refusing to let your eyes shut. 

You can see Kenma looking at you out of the corner of your eye. "Her eyes are watering. She hasn't blinked. You shouldn't cheat, Shoyo." His words are oddly contrasting with his disinterested tone. 

"Well I haven't either!" Hinata says stubbornly. 

The man next to Hinata flicks the redhead in the temple, causing him to blink. "There, you lose. Are you done now?"

"KAGEYAMA!" Hinata sputters.  _ Right, that's his name.  _

You let out a relieved sigh, allowing yourself to blink several times until your surroundings come back into focus. You're sitting at the kitchen table in Kuro and Kenma's spacious house, among a group of people you barely knew. Part of you feels on edge, while the other part feels giddy knowing you were around Kei's long time friends. You could only remember about half of their names--there were the band members, of course, and Tadashi and Kenma. Daichi had introduced himself at the show, along with Tadashi's fiance, Hitoka. 

There were several others scattered among the house, talking loudly to each other. You were beginning to see the small cliques that had formed among the group. Daichi and Suga occupied the couch with the two bartenders who had been at The Crooked Jester. They were joined by Hitoka and Tadashi, who were curled together on the loveseat. There was another woman that you didn't get a good look at. She sat on the floor in front of the couch, her back against the shaved-haired bartender's (Ryu?) legs. The TV was set to a music station, though it could barely be heard. 

"Guess this one's yours, Hinata." You slide a shot glass full of Everclear over to his side of the table. 

"Please don't make me drink this." Hinata whines. 

"This was your idea, idiot. Drink the damn shot." Kageyama pinches Hinata's nose and grabs the shot glass, forcing the liquor past Hinata's lips. Hinata immediately starts coughing but still manages to swallow, much to your surprise. 

"Why do people drink this stuff?!" Hinata makes a gagging noise. 

"To get drunk, obviously." Kageyama huffs. He pours another shot and slides the glass over to you. "Dare you."

"Is it really that bad?" You wrinkle your nose and stare down at the shot glass as if it were a strange animal. 

"You've never tried it?" Hinata's eyes glint dangerously. "Well then, I dare you to try it too!"

You take a deep breath and bring the shot glass to your lips. The fumes threaten to burn your nose hairs, a fact you try to ignore as you force yourself to take the smallest possible mouthful. You immediately regret your decision as your senses are taken over by the worst tasting liquid you'd ever consumed. You're not even sure that it has a taste, all you can focus on is the burning sensation in your mouth, the feeling traveling down your throat and to your stomach as you swallow. 

_ I've made a terrible mistake.  _

Kenma, sensing your pain, pushes his water bottle into your hand. You take a few greedy sips, although it does little to take the horrible taste out of your mouth.

"Never again," you gasp. You eye Kageyama warily. "Your turn."

Hinata laughs. "Kageyama won't--"

"Watch me." Kageyama refills the shot glass and wastes no time in downing the contents. You watch with wide eyes as the color drains from his face. You can tell he's straining against the urge to cough. You pass the water bottle over to him and he quickly finishes it off. "Couldn't let Hinata get one over on me," he mumbles. 

"You wanna try?" You nudge Kenma playfully, the alcohol already making you feel a bit bolder than normal. 

Kenma glances up from his phone, his eyes going from you to Hinata to Kageyama and landing on the now-empty water bottle. "No."

"Oi, Hotel Girl!" Kuro calls to you from the kitchen. You look up to see him standing behind the large marbled counter with two guys you don't recognize. One vaguely reminds you of an owl with his wide eyes and spiked hair, while the other has messy black hair and regards you with a flat expression. "Come here!"

"I'm apparently being summoned." You give the trio at the table a small wave and stand up, brushing your skirt over your knees. 

Kuro hands you a plastic cup as you approach. You hesitantly take it, noting the array of bottles on the counter. "Since Skinny's taking forever in the bathroom I figured I'd make sure you were taken care of."

"How kind of you." You've clearly been spending too much time with Kei--his sarcasm was beginning to rub off on you. You take a tentative sip of the drink he gave you, finding it much more pleasant than the Everclear you had. 

"Do you always take drinks from strange guys?" The man with short black hair asks. 

You startle, "Um, not always, but it's Kuro, so…" 

"What if I told you I made it?" The other guy grins at you mischievously. 

"I'd say thank you?" You suddenly find yourself feeling flustered by the situation. 

Kuro lets out a barking laugh. "You're fun, Hotel Girl. I was worried you'd be more like Tsukki." He gestures to the owl-looking man. "This is Bokuto, by the way, and the robot there is Akaashi."

"Keiji, if you want. And I'm not a robot." Akaashi's face does little to support his claim. 

"Hey, Hotel Girl." Bokuto gives you a teasing wave. He leans down, bringing his face close to yours. "Do you have an actual name?"

"Mei, but Hotel Girl is kind of growing on me." You grin and take another drink, leaning back a bit to put some distance between yourself and Bokuto. 

"Meeeeiiii. I gotta admit, when Kuro said Tsukki had a girl staying with him I didn't quite believe him." Bokuto gives you a once-over. He grabs his own cup from the counter and taps it against yours. "But here you are!"

"Here I am!" You repeat nervously. 

You're grateful when Kei chooses this moment to finally emerge from the hallway. You can't stop yourself from smiling when you see the somewhat relieved expression on his face when he finds you. He strolls over to where you're standing and takes the cup from your hand, inspecting the contents as though he were searching for something malicious. 

"Calm down, Tsukki-dude, it's just Code Red and vodka." Bokuto smirks at Kei's actions. 

Kei takes a small sip of the drink and makes a displeased face. "A lot of vodka."

"Want one?" 

"I'll pass." Kei hands you the cup and goes to the refrigerator to pull out a bottle of beer. 

"You smoke?" Akaashi turns his attention to you. When you nod, he turns to Kei. "I'm stealing her for a minute. We'll be outside."

"Mei's already replaced you as Akaashi's nicotine friend." Kuro slaps Kei's back. 

"Oh no, I'm hurt." Kei gives you a long look. You can see the gears spinning in his head for a few moments, as though he was having an internal debate. "I could go for one, actually."

Akaashi's lip twitches slightly. You're not sure if he's annoyed or pleased at Kei wanting to join the two of you. He seems to be a hard read, unlike Bokuto, who had been looking at you and Kei with an alarmingly excited expression. You had the distinct feeling of being under close observation, a notion that you weren't sure you were enjoying. 

You follow Akaashi through the kitchen and out the front door, with Kei close behind. Part of you is certain that Kuro was the one who had put this space together with plenty of outdoor seating and a planter that apparently only served as an ashtray. Now that you consider it, the entire main part of the house seemed to be put together to accommodate large gatherings. Kenma, despite his popularity, didn’t appear to be the type to enjoy being around large groups of people. 

"Bo can be a bit much." Akaashi pulls a metal case from his pocket and takes out a black cigarette. A clove, you realize. Akaashi must have taste. He lights it with a practiced hand. "You looked a little overwhelmed."

"He seems nice though." You take a cigarette from Kei and place it between your lips. He extends his lighter out to you, ignoring your outstretched hand to instead light the cigarette for you. The gesture, as small as it is, gives you that warm fluttery feeling in your chest. 

"That's a word for it." Kei lights his own cigarette and moves to stand beside you. His arm brushes yours as he alternates taking controlled sips of his beer and smoking. You can feel him eyeing your drink warily. "Are you going to be okay to walk home later?"

You resist groaning at the thought. You had gone to The Crooked Jester with Kenma, while Kei had been picked up with Tadashi by Kuro. While the bar was across town, Kuro's house was within an easier walking distance to the apartments. 

"You underestimate me." You take a pointedly large drink and fight against the urge to grimace in order to save face. You know better than to let yourself get  _ too _ drunk around an unfamiliar group of people, even with Kei around. 

"The night's early. She'll be fine." Akaashi says with an amused expression.

" _ She's  _ right here," you wave your hand around, your cigarette dangling between your index and middle fingers. 

Kei is the first to finish his cigarette as the three of you chat aimlessly. You fully expected him to light up another, instead he brings his now free arm to wrap around your waist. You lean into the contact easily, growing used to the feeling of having him next to you so often. You realize that you probably like it  _ too _ much--you're going home in a few days and everything would go back to normal once the two of you were apart. 

Or would it?

_ Blame the alcohol, _ you think as you finish your cigarette. You toss the filter into the planter and down the rest of your drink.  _ You can let yourself pretend for just one night, right? _

Kenma eventually makes an appearance, poking his head out of the door as though he were confirming you were there before stepping outside. You find yourself grinning at him, still reeling from the previous conversation you'd shared. 

_ "I can appreciate people who decide to make a career out of their passion, especially when they're good at what they do."  _ He'd told you when the two of you were sitting together at the bar. You almost hadn't mentioned that you had previously taken on a job that involved writing about his popularity and the type of gaming content he'd put out, having been a little starstruck after seeing  _ the  _ Kodzuken. 

"Do you smoke too?" You ask. 

"No. Kuro started setting up Drunk Jenga and found Shoyo trying to convince Kageyama to drink more Everclear." As much as you were beginning to like Kenma, his explanation did little for your understanding. 

"Didn't he ban that after what happened last time?" Akaashi rolls his eyes and ashes his clove with a delicate flick. 

You shoot Kenma a slightly terrified look. "What happened last time?"

"Kags drank four shots and got a little uh," Kei pauses. You can feel his fingers tapping against your waist. "Well, it ended with him puking into Hinata's mouth, and Hinata pukes a lot anyway--"

"The ipecac scene from  _ Family Guy _ ." Akaashi offers. "The Hinata, Kageyama, and Tadashi version."

"Tadashi's a sympathy puker." Kei grimaces. 

"We had to replace the couch." Kenma says to his phone. 

"I hate everything about that story." You wrinkle your nose in disgust at the mental image they'd painted. The alcohol swimming around in your stomach didn't help matters either. "So Drunk Jenga?"

"If you promise to pace yourself there, kiddo." Kei taps his beer bottle against your empty cup. You roll your eyes at him, only to be met with a squeeze around your waist. You peer up at him and see he's gazing back at you with a certain fondness that makes your heart jump. 

_ He's relaxed,  _ you realize with a smile. 

///

  
  


Kei is pleasantly buzzed. 

While drunk Jenga wasn't his favorite party game, he couldn't deny the perks of watching you quickly being able to fold in with his group of friends. Nearly everyone had gathered around the kitchen table, save for Akaashi (who refused to drink in large gatherings), Asahi (who had to be up early in the morning), and Hitoka (who still was too afraid to play drinking games with the group). The three of them were all watching the game with varied interest from the couch. Kei had watched you and Hinata half-drag an unenthusiastic Kenma into playing, much to the delight of everyone involved.

You're sitting comfortably in his lap with your back against his chest. Normally he would be bothered by the amount of close contact. He thinks he stopped caring somewhere between his third and fourth beer. Or maybe he stopped caring long before that. Alcohol aside, you being this close  _ did something  _ to him, and not just a  _ sexual  _ something. It was the kind of  _ something _ that made his chest squeeze and his skin glow with warmth. 

_ It's pleasant _ , he thinks. 

He blames the beer, even though deep down he knows better. 

"Kei, take my turn, I'm going to knock it over." You're hiding your face in your hands, holding back laughter. You're a giggly kind of drunk, something that would normally annoy Kei, yet he finds it to be a good look on you. 

"Nuh uh." His lips press against your ear. He's beyond caring about his friends' watchful eyes. He's been flirting shamelessly with you for a while now. Anything to draw out that adorable laughter. "Better not screw it up,  _ dear _ ."

Kei can feel the heat from your blush. You twist around to give him a look that's somewhere between a grin and a pout. Your attention goes to Kenma, who had the misfortune of sitting next to the two of you at the now-crowded table. 

"Kenma! Which one do I pick?" 

"Um." Kenma looks up from his phone. Kei can't be mad at the apparent admiration Kenma felt towards you. Kei had known the gamer long enough to understand that few people held the capability of drawing his focus, and Kei was almost proud that you had turned out to be one of those people. "This one."

Kenma points to one of the few safe remaining pieces in the Jenga tower. The game had been going for a while now, leaving the tower precariously top heavy. You unsteadily lean forward, scooting further up Kei's lap, and  _ carefull _ y pull out the block. The tower shakes slightly, but remains upright. 

"Two truths and a lie." You read. 

"Alright, no guesses from you, Skinny." Kuroo smirks at Kei. "Whoever guesses wrong has to drink."

"I'll drink anyway." Kei shrugs and takes a sip of beer. 

"Okay," you tap your jaw for a moment. "I've never driven a car. I've met Kiyoko before tonight. And I'm deathly afraid of deep water."

"You met her before, babe?" Tanaka turns to Kiyoko. 

"Never seen her before in my life." Kiyoko stares right through you from her spot at the far end of the table. 

"Would she make it that easy though?" Suga muses. "I'm going with the driving thing."

Kei keeps his expression blank as his friends debate your statements. If he was being honest, he wasn't 100% sure which one was the lie, but he couldn't let anyone catch on to that. 

"Alright, alright, alright. I got a question before I make my choice." Bokuto slams his palm on the table, causing the tower to teeter precariously. "How old are you?"

"I'll be twenty-three this year." You answer. 

"Tsukki likes them young." Tadashi chuckles. Kei gives him a light jab with his elbow in response. 

"Definitely the driving thing then." Bokuto declares. "If she were eighteen I could see it."

"If she were eighteen, she wouldn't be drinking." Daichi, ever the parental figure, comments. 

"Alright, so who thinks the driving thing is a lie?" Kuro asks. Bokuto, Hinata, Kageyama, and Suga raise their hands. "And meeting Kiyoko?" Tanaka, Tadashi, Kuro, and Tadashi raise their hands. "And finally, fear of water?" Kiyoko and Kenma raise their hands. 

"Wait…" Tanaka narrows his eyes at Kiyoko. 

"We've met before, very briefly." Kiyoko gives Tanaka a sickly-sweet smile. "Remember when you didn't come inside to meet me at the airport?"

"I KNEW IT WAS YOU!" You giggle excitedly. "You saved me from my bathroom meltdown before I saw Kei!"

_ Bathroom meltdown? _

"Small world, hm?" Kiyoko chuckles. "What was the lie?"

"I'm afraid of bees, not water." 

_ You've never driven? _

"Wait,  _ bees _ ?" Kei has to duck his head against your shoulder to stop his outburst of laughter. 

  
  


///

  
  


You're not sure how you wound up here, stradling Kei on one of the wicker chairs on Kuro’s front porch. Your head was a spinning mess of intoxication and desire, though you weren't sure of how much intoxication was part of it at this point. Kei had cut you off from drinking nearly an hour ago in preparation for the walk home. Despite the public setting, he was showing no hesitancy in the way he kissed you, holding you against his chest with a strong hand on the center of your back. Your skirt was riding up your thighs, exposing them to the cool night air and the roughness of his jeans. 

Kei had a way of flooding your senses, but this felt  _ different _ . There was something more than hunger pouring out of him. It felt possessive, needy, raw. He sucks on your bottom lip greedily, leaving it swollen. Your hips roll against his and you're able to feel  his clothed bulge pressing into you. 

He breaks away from your mouth and rests his forehead against yours. His eyes are burning behind his glasses. His chest rises and falls beneath your hands with his shallow breaths. You've never seen him in this state, not even after an intense round of sex. 

"Kei?" You slide your hands up to his face, holding it between your palms. 

He takes a shuddering breath. You can see the conflict written on his face as he speaks. "I didn't know you can't drive."

"It's not something I really advertise." You furrow your brow in confusion. 

"There's more." He blinks slowly. "There's more I don't know, isn't there?"

"Just like there's more I don't know about you." You rub your thumbs over his cheeks soothingly. 

"But I want to know." His arms circle around your waist tightly. It's the first time he's really held you, and you selfishly want more of it. "I want to know everything, Mei."

_ Blame the alcohol. He drank a lot tonight.  _

"I'm not that interesting." You drop your hands to his shoulders. 

"Are you sure you're not stupid?" He taps his forehead against yours. 

"Kei!"

He kisses you roughly, silencing your protests. You press yourself against his chest, relishing in the way his toned muscles flex against you. Your whole body tingles as his tongue slips into your mouth and swirls around yours. You dig your fingers into his shoulders, suddenly feeling consumed with everything that was  _ Kei _ . In that moment, you couldn't bring yourself to care about the possibility of someone else stepping outside and finding the two of you. 

_ I want to know everything about you, too.  _

  
  


///

  
  


It had taken some convincing, but Kei had finally convinced you, Tadashi, and Hitoka to start the walk home. As entertaining as it was to watch Bokuto and Kuroo tease you, seeing how well you interacted with his friends only increased the growing  _ ache _ in his stomach. He didn't have a name for what he felt--even with his vast vocabulary, he couldn't find the word for the mixture of pride and jealousy that overcame him. 

He just wanted to be alone with you, so he could channel those feelings into something tangible. 

Kei's attention is only partially focused on your conversation with Hitoka. The two of you are walking a few steps behind him, with Tadashi taking the rear. Kei walks with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, jingling his keys. 

"Dammit, my phone's dead." You say. "Kei, will you text Hitoka my number?"

"As long as you two don't start planning double dates behind my back." Kei pulls his phone out of his pocket and copies your contact information over to Hitoka. He looks behind him just in time to catch your reaction to his statement. Just as he expected, you're looking back at him with wide, giddy eyes. 

He smirks and looks back ahead. It was a dangerous game he was playing, letting his emotions bleed into his words. Even though you had been nothing but receptive to his advances, he struggled with bringing himself to the point of being willing to embrace what was beginning to bloom in front of him. 

"Speaking of dates, please tell me you'll be coming to our wedding!" Hitoka wraps her arm around yours excitedly. "Tsukki needs a plus one."

_ Everyone else accepts it, why can't I? _

"Tsukki can speak for himself, thank you." Kei clenches his fists in his pockets. After a beat, he stops suddenly, causing a chain reaction of you and Hitoka stumbling against him, then Tadashi nearly tripping over the two of you. He turns to stare down at you. "I know these two lovesick idiots that are getting married on Halloween, want to go?"

You give him that  _ look _ , the one where your lips purse and your jaw tightens. It's the look you give him when he says something particularly asshole-ish and you're trying to come up with a witty response. "Well, don't ask me out of obligation or anything."

"He's not Mei, don't mind him." Tadashi waves his hands frantically. "I know it's a big ask since you live so far away, but we'd really like to have you there."

"I'll make it happen." You beam. 

The side of Kei's mouth lifts into something resembling a half-smile. "Good."

He sets off again, not bothering to look behind to see if the rest of you are following. He can hear the genuine interest in your responses to Hitoka as she chatters about the details of the wedding--yes, it's a costumed affair, no, Hitoka can't say what her costume is, that's a big secret. Kei has heard all of this before from both Hitoka and Tadashi plenty of times already. 

Kei is beyond antsy by the time the two of you reach his apartment door. He can tell you have something to say by the way you fidget with the strap of your small purse while you wait for him to unlock the door. 

"Something on your mind?" Kei asks as the two of you go inside. 

"If you don't actually want me to come back up for the wedding you can say so. I'll make an excuse." You don't look at him as you place your purse on the counter and take off your shoes. "I know she kind of put you on the spot there."

He takes his own shoes off, lining them up neatly next to yours beneath the counter. "It's their wedding," he says carefully. "they can invite who they want."

"Yeah, but do  _ you  _ want me there? As your 'plus one', or whatever." Your eyes linger on the countertop. 

"As my date, you mean." He clarifies. 

"If you want to call it that." Your voice goes soft, and Kei is no longer sure of how to read the situation. He stands beside you at the counter, not quite close enough to touch you. 

"I think we're a little beyond worrying about calling you my date or not, don't you?" 

The air shifts. 

"I think I drank too much." You rub your temples. "But tonight was fun. Really fun."

_ You're afraid too, hm? _

He turns and takes your jaw in his hand, forcing you to look up at him. "I hope you're not too tired."

You swallow, "Never too tired for you, Kei."

Your words start a fire within him. The tips of his ears turn red and the hand on your jaw slides down to your neck. He doesn't grip you tight enough to choke you, just enough to hold you in place while he removes his glasses. It's times like these when he particularly hates his poor vision. He wants to see every inch of you when you fall apart in front of him. 

Kei wants nothing more than to tear your clothes off and fuck you over the counter until you're begging him for release, but a greater  _ need _ is what's driving him right now. The need to communicate his thoughts with his actions, so that maybe, just  _ maybe  _ he can make sense of the buzzing in his chest. 

So instead of crashing down on you, he slowly presses his lips to yours, letting them linger until he can feel you exhaling through your nose against his cheek. He grants you a bit of air, pulling back just enough to see the heat rising to your face before diving back in. He revels in the way your lips mold against his and the small sighs that come from your throat. 

He bends over to grab your knee, drawing it up to his waist. Your arms wrap around his shoulders, automatically understanding his intentions. He repeats the action with your other leg, and carries you into the bedroom while you pepper soft kisses on his neck. He gently places you on the bed and flicks on the lamp. 

You're both still fully-clothed when he joins you on the bed. He lowers himself on top of you, caging you in with his lean form. He drinks in the sight of you gazing up at him with bedroom eyes for a few moments before he kisses you again. He mentally chastises himself for the amount of need he's exhibiting when it comes to you. His mouth trails downward, kissing a path to the spots he knows will make you squirm. He greedily sucks a mark on the opposite side of your currently existing bite and licks the wound with the tip of his tongue, causing you to whine. 

(He very much knows that those marks are a bitch to cover up, but he can't resist leaving himself on you.)

Satisfied with the blooming bruise on your skin, he draws the two of you into a sitting position, allowing him to slide his hands beneath your shirt and pull it over your head. He unclasps your bra next and tosses both garments to the floor before lowering you back down on the bed, positioning himself between your legs. 

"You're so fucking pretty." Kei's eyes roam hungrily over your heaving breasts. He grips your waist with both hands and swirls his tongue over a peaked nipple. 

"Kei, I'm not--" You let out a sharp cry as he sinks his teeth into your sensitive nub. 

"Don't finish that sentence unless you're telling me you want to stop," he growls. He was determined to break your habit of speaking so negatively about yourself. 

"Don't stop, please." Your fingers reach to curl in his hair, encouraging him to continue. 

"That's what I thought," he hums. His attention goes to your other breast, giving it equal treatment. He runs his tongue down your cleavage and dips into your navel. His fingers claw at the waistband of your skirt, and you lift your hips to allow him to tug it off along with your panties, moving his body down with your clothes. 

He sits up on his knees, marveling at your flushed skin and the way your waist dips into the curves of your hips. He wraps his slender fingers around your ankle, bringing it up to his ankle and kissing the inside of your calf. He can't stop himself from smirking when your toes curl and your arms instinctively wrap around your chest to cover yourself. 

"Don't hide from me," he moves down your leg, kissing and nibbling on the inside of your knee and your thigh. 

You let out a soft sigh and let your arms fall to your sides. "Kei, this just feels…"

"Different?" He raises his head and locks his eyes to yours. 

"Yeah," you press your fingers to your lips. 

"Good."

Kei settles himself between your legs, bringing your knees over his shoulders. He supports himself on his forearms and moans at the site of your glistening entrance in front of him. He takes his time with you, lapping at your clit with short strokes of his tongue. After a few moments of this he moves to dipping in and out of your slit, letting his nose nuzzle against your swollen bundle of nerves. Your fingers grasp at the covers, searching something to hold onto as your body responds to his ministrations. 

He echoes your whimpers with moans of his own, sending vibrations through your body. He wraps his arms around your thighs, clamping them around his head. His name tumbles from your lips as he sucks your clit into his mouth. 

If you'd let him, he'd spend all day here drawing those delicious moans from your lips. This was what he found himself craving, bringing you to the height of your pleasure and watching you come undone in front of him. He grinds his hips into the bed, trying to relieve the pressure off his throbbing cock.

"Kei, I'm close, please." Your thighs tremble around his head. He hums in response, increasing the pressure on your clit in the way he knows you like. He holds your hips in place as your release crashes over you. Your moans turn into a silent scream while he slowly eases his movements, not wanting to overstimulate you. 

He lets your legs fall from his shoulders, coming up to nuzzle against your stomach and peer up at your blissed out face. He hides his smile against your skin. He finds a secret sense of pride in what he's able to do to you. 

"I  _ need _ you." You brush your hands through his hair. Your word choice isn't lost on him, not by any means. It sends a wave of emotion over him, one that he's not running from. 

_ Maybe, maybe this isn't a bad thing.  _

"You sure?" Kei strokes your ribcage tenderly, letting his eyes meet yours. 

"I'm incredibly sure." You raise yourself off the pillows and reach out to him. 

_ I need you, too.  _

Kei can't bring himself to say it. Instead he sits up and lets you slide your hands beneath his shirt and tug it off. Your hands splay over his chest and you ghost your lips over his. You draw back just enough to meet his gaze. He holds your hands against his chest, squeezing them in the hopes that it's enough to convey the words he's unable to speak. 

Kei stands up and rids himself of his remaining clothes. He makes quick work of grabbing a condom from the drawer, giving himself a few quick strokes before sliding it over his length. He rejoins you on the bed, taking your shoulders in his hands and guiding you back down against the pillows. His chest is flush with yours as he cradles your face in his hands and kisses you deeply, letting his fears melt away, for now. 

"Why are you so perfect?" You ask once he breaks away from your mouth. 

"Good question," Kei smirks. You wrap your legs around his waist as he lines himself up with you. He reaches down to rub his length over your dripping cunt before slowly guiding himself in. 

He gasps at the way your walls clench around him once he bottoms out inside of you. His pelvis rocks against yours, letting you adjust to his girth before he moves in and out of you at a gentle pace. It isn't slow enough to be teasing, just enough to draw out the tremoring sensation building in his stomach. 

"Fuck, you feel so good." Kei's eyes roll back into his head. He reaches back with one hand to grasp at your hip, digging his fingers into your soft skin, while the other stays pressed against your cheek. "Fuck, babe."

The sentiment behind the nickname isn't lost on you, given the way your eyes spark beneath your lashes. Your hands are grasping his shoulders as you move beneath him, meeting his rhythm with each movement of your hips. 

Kei loses himself in you, letting the gasps and groans freely escape from his lips. It's a stark difference from his normal cocky demeanor, but he's lost the ability to care. He makes room for you to bring your hand down to your clit and rub quick circles over it. The only sounds he could focus on are the sound of his skin slapping against yours as he ruts into you and the increasingly desperate cries coming from you. 

"Kei, Kei, Kei…" you arch your back in one beautiful motion as your second orgasm of the night hits you. Your jaw hangs open, compelling him to nibble on your bottom lip.The sensation of your pussy convulsing around him makes him shudder, bringing him teetering on the edge of his own release.

"So pretty when you cum." Kei can't focus on forming cohesive sentences. The sight of your wrecked makeup and glossy eyes is enough to make him go rigid, the feeling rising into his stomach, chest, and throat in a forceful wave. He thrusts into you, letting the feeling overtake him as his muscles spasm. His vision briefly goes white when the sensation takes over, shaking him to his core while he cums in hot streams inside of you. 

He shakily lowers his chest, letting his forehead rest against yours. His eyes fall shut as he catches his breath, coming back down from the intense high he always found himself experiencing when he's been with you. Your arms circle around him and stroke his back. He can feel your gaze burning on his face. 

"You okay?" You softly question. 

"Hn," he manages, not ready to open his eyes. He knows he needs to go clean up, but his legs feel like jelly. Hell, his whole being feels like jelly. He knows it's coming from something deeper than the physical activity. 

You continue stroking his back until he's ready to move again. He can't force himself to look at you once he does, carefully avoiding eye contact as he slowly pulls out of you and rolls over to his side and pulls the condom off his softening length. 

"Here," you hold your hand out and motion for him to drop it into your outstretched hand. He does so, albeit hesitantly, and you climb off the bed to take it to the kitchen trash can. 

He's laying on his back when you return. You stand over him, handing him his glasses with a soft smile. "I should go take my makeup off."

"Come here."

Kei's command surprises both of you. He feels strangely vulnerable, as if he had just confessed all of his secrets to you. He doesn't wait for you to respond, taking your wrist in his hand and pulling you back to the bed. He shifts onto his side and holds you against him, letting his legs tangle through yours. 

"Just for a minute, okay?" He whispers into your hair. "You said I needed to work on my pillow talk."

"That I did." You snuggle into him, fitting into his arms as though you were meant to be there. And maybe you were. 

"I'm still not good at it," he admits. "So just stay here."

_ This is apparently what it feels like when I care about someone. Or is it… _

"As long as you need," you press a soft kiss into his neck. 

He doesn't let himself finish the thought. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew. This chapter turned out sooooo much longer than what I intended. I wanted to bring in some of Kei's friends, and you know, establish a potential part three to this series. I may or may not already have the title. Ha. (Anyone else REAAAALLY want to see Tadashi and Hitoka get married? :D Even though I secretly ship her with Tsukki, shh.) 
> 
> This turned out so much more angsty than I thought it would. Tsukki is so bad at feelings that it hurts, but our baby is getting there! 
> 
> Fun fact, Code Red and vodka isn't terrible. College me was a lot more fun than late 20s me, let's just say that. ^^;
> 
> Tell me what you guys are thinking so far! I really appreciate all of the feedback I've gotten. I adore reading your comments. :)


	6. And This is One Fucked up Seduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tadashi is the friend we all need. 
> 
> Chapter title is from the song "Perfect For You" from the Next to Normal soundtrack. :)

Kei Tsukishima was in trouble. 

He had woken up before you that morning, only to find that he was once again tangled around you with his head on your chest. He had wanted to stay there until the pounding in his head subsided. You were  _ so comfortable _ and he was  _ so okay _ with feeling his bare chest pressed against your side. Knowing he only had a few more days of this was painful in a way that he couldn't comprehend. It almost made him reconsider washing his sheets on a weekly basis, if only to preserve your scent in the fabric. 

Keyword: almost. Rituals are important, even when it came to laundry. 

It had physically hurt him to clamor out of bed once he noticed you were waking up. He forced himself into the shower, as if the act of cleaning himself (for the second time in 6 hours) would calm him down. It didn't, unsurprisingly, so he arranged and rearranged your products that had amassed on the bathroom counter. First by height, then by function. 

And then he realized that you probably had them arranged by order of use, so he put them back the way they were. Front-facing. Would you notice?

Would you notice if your bottle of moisturizer went missing? (Patchouli and rose, he'd noted.)

Maybe he was going crazy. 

This is why he didn't get close to many people. Not on this level. 

But he couldn't help it. Not when it came to you. 

_ The human brain is fascinating when one's resolve starts to break.  _

Kei doesn't exactly remember the reason he gives you for leaving the apartment. He just needs to walk, get his head The sun nearly blinds him once he leaves the apartment complex and he momentarily regrets the decision to not invest in transition lenses. It doesn't help the pressure in his head, but it was too late to turn back. So he carries on down the sidewalk, twisting the ring around his index finger and moving to avoid brushing against people. He walks until he reaches the end of his street and turns the corner towards a public park. 

Fortunately for Kei, he's able to find an empty bench. He lights a cigarette and pulls out his phone, deciding to distract himself with Instagram for a bit. Which is a big mistake, apparently, because after a few minutes of scrolling he lands on a post on Kuroo's personal account from the previous night. He swipes through the pictures of his drunken friends and finds one of the two of you. You two aren't the focus of the picture, but Kei can't take his eyes off the image of you sitting in his lap with your lips against his ear. He doesn't recognize the expression on his own face--it certainly isn't one he's made in the mirror, nor is it one he's seen in pictures. 

Kei looks alive.  _ Happy  _ even. There isn't a shred of irritation or indifference on his face. He suddenly understands why everyone had been so quick to draw you into their group. He understands why Kuroo had been teasing, not flirting, when he spoke to you. He understands why Hitoka had attached herself to you, and why he caught Bokuto grinning like an idiot every time he looked your way. Because it was  _ so obvious  _ to everyone around that Kei Tsukishima had  _ found someone _ that brought the life back into his eyes. 

He's calling Tadashi before he can think about it. It's almost instinctual, he goes to Tadashi for most things. 

"Tsukki? What's wrong?" Tadashi's voice is a whisper. 

"I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

Tadashi laughs. "Hold on." Kei can hear a door open and close. "I have a feeling we don't want Hitoka spying on us. Is this about Mei?"

"No, it's about my 2018 tax returns." Kei can't stop himself from being snarky, even in times like these. "I got this letter--"

"I get it," Tadashi groans. 

"I saw Kuroo's Instagram post." Kei ashes his cigarette. "Do I really look like that?"

"Remember what you told me when you first met Hitoka?"

"Only vaguely."

"You said--" Tadashi lowers his voice to match Kei's tone, "--'I swear to fuck, Tadashi, you might as well crawl up her ass and live there'." He quotes. "You were a lot meaner back then."

"What's your point?" Kei stretches his arm over the back of the bench. 

"Point being, I hadn't even thought about asking her out before you said that. I mean, I knew I liked her, but…" Kei can hear the smile in Tadashi’s voice. "It's kind of obvious that she's your person."

"I thought you were my person." Kei smirks. 

"I am, but please don't say that at the wedding, people are really going to get the wrong idea." Tadashi snickers, then takes on a serious tone. "What worries you the most?"

"I have a fucked up idea of relationships, you know that." Kei rubs his hand over his face. 

Tadashi goes quiet for a moment. "I know Hitoka and I aren't perfect, and neither are Daichi and Suga. Maybe try looking at what we have, and not, well, you know."

_ Not my brother or my own parents, you mean.  _

"Just because you've seen bad experiences doesn't mean your own are going to be like that." Tadashi gently continues. "You've always made your own path. Don't get so wrapped up in what could happen, for once."

Kei can't bring himself to verbalize the effect of Tadashi's words. So instead he says, "You are too damn cheesy sometimes."

"And you're a real prick,  _ most _ of the time." Tadashi knows Kei well enough to not be offended by his words. "Let me rephrase."

"Oh God."

"Get over yourself and admit how you feel." 

A slow smile spreads across Kei's face. Tadashi used to be so afraid of calling him out, and now he did it seemingly without a second thought. "I guess I should thank you."

"So then thank me!" Tadashi sputters. 

"No."

"You're welcome anyway."

///

_ "I'm going out for a bit… No, I don't need you coming with me. Just do some work or something." _

Kei had left the apartment incredibly quiet. It was the type of quiet that made it impossible to focus on writing. You knew from the second you sat down at your laptop that you wouldn't be able to accomplish anything substantial, especially given the mood Kei had been in since waking up. He hadn't clung to you this morning, even with the hangovers you were both sporting. Instead he had practically jumped out of bed and beelined to the bathroom, leaving nothing but the ghost of his warmth behind. 

It was an incredibly lonely feeling. You couldn't wrap your head around what had changed since the night before. Your memories were a bit blurry, sure, but you were positive that you hadn't let anything too emotional slip. You certainly hoped not anyway. 

_ He probably hates that you're still here. You were stupid to let yourself get carried away in thinking he was treating you differently.  _

You slam your laptop shut, not willing to keep staring at the blank document in front of you. You pick up your phone and swipe away the absurd amount of Instagram and Twitter notifications, making a mental note to go through them later. You hadn't realized Kenma tweeting out your article would result in you gaining so many followers. Even your sister had noticed, going so far as to sending you a screenshot of the tweet with a series of excited gifs. You're 90% sure that Hifumi has no idea about who Kenma is, but you enjoy her support either way. 

There are a few unread texts, none from Kei, of course, not like you expected any. There's another from Hifumi, one from Kimmi (she  _ would _ come out of the woodwork now, ugh), and a few messages from unknown numbers. You tap into one of them that turns out to be Hitoka. 

**_Hitoka (3:47 am):_ ** heyyyyyy it's the future Mrs. Yamaguchi, how's the future Mrs. Tsukkiiiii? ❤❤

**_Hitoka (10:25 am):_ ** OMG I clearly didn't mean to imply you were going to get married to Tsukki. Please don't rush things! ❤

**_Hitoka (11:45 am):_ ** Are you okay?

**_Hitoka (11:47 am):_ ** Tadashi just got off the phone with Tsukki. I tried to ask but Tadashi said he's not going to say anything until you and Tsukki talked. 

**_Hitoka (11:48 am):_ ** Want me to bribe him? 😈

**_Me (11:52 am):_ ** Hi Hitoka! I'm fine. Don't bribe your fiancé for secrets. 🤭

You sigh. As much as you wanted to know what was going on in Kei's head, you couldn't ask his best friend’s future wife to spy for you. You move to the next message, which turns out to be a GroupMe invite to something called "Torch! Family Therapy". You decide to deal with that later, not ready or willing to figure out the name implies. The final message is from Kenma. You only vaguely remember giving him your number. 

**_Kenma (5:00 am):_ ** its kenma. had to wait for kuro to fall asleep. he'd sit on me until i gave him your number if he knew.

**_Me (11:55 am):_ ** Why would Kuro want my number?

**_Kenma (11:56 am):_ ** to fuck with tsukishima, obvs 

_ Nope, not dealing with that one.  _

You shove your phone into the front of your camisole, tucking it in your cleavage so you can use your hands to push yourself away from the desk. The apartment is too quiet. Quiet is a dangerous thing when your brain is threatening to run away with thoughts of anxiety and self-loathing. Quiet makes space for your mind to scream. 

Kei smokes too much, you had learned. And you smoked too much when you were with him. Still, this doesn't stop you from grabbing your headphones and ducking outside to the balcony, your cigarettes still balanced on the arm of Kei's Adirondack chair. You settle into the chair, plugging in your ear buds and switching on Spotify before lighting up. 

And, because the universe hates you,  _ Sincerely, Yours _ is the first song to come up on your daily shuffle. 

You almost tear your headphones out. 

That particular song had never really gotten to you until last night. Maybe it was the stark difference in delivery, with Suga's voice morphing into that of a sultry lounge singer, while still holding on to the characteristic clarity. Maybe it was the whiskey that Daichi had slid into your hand. 

_ Or maybe it was the way Kei's eyes sought you out.  _

You close your eyes, fighting against the memory. You let yourself focus in on the smoke flooding your lungs, the quick drumbeat, the guitar rifs,  _ anything but that memory and the lyrics.  _

You knew you had it bad when it came to Kei. Accepting that had been hard for you, knowing that there was little chance that he'd ever actually want anything more than the occasional night in a hotel. You wish you could chalk it up to the physical attraction (god knows the two of you worked brilliantly together in bed); although you knew there was more to it than that. Kei reminded you of a Sour Patch Kid, a sentiment you knew would piss him off if you ever said it out loud. Except, Kei wasn't sour-then-sweet. Rather, he was sour-then-annoyed-then-maybe a hint of sweet. And you  _ liked _ that about him. It made the moments of kindness feel so much more meaningful, almost as if you had earned it. 

(Which, now that you consider it, that would explain why you melted every time he called you a good girl.)

Kei had technically been a rebound of sorts. You were fresh out of a horrible relationship when you'd met him, or else you probably wouldn't have ever considered having a (supposed) one-night fling with someone you'd never met. Your ex had given you a pretty screwed up idea of what it meant to be with someone, and two years later you still found yourself dealing with the aftermath. If you were being honest with yourself, you weren't even sure how to be someone's girlfriend without completely losing yourself in the process. That had been what your ex had  _ wanted _ , because you weren't good enough on your own. He was the one that made you 'better. You had been incredibly sheltered growing up, and at the time his words had made sense to you. So much of you had been intertwined with him, everything from his friends to your daily routine. So much of the last two years had been figuring out who you were again, and learning to try to like yourself. 

Being alone had been terrifying at first. You quickly figured out that the social network you'd developed had only existed because of your relationship. Fortunately Kimmi had come along and helped drag you out of your shell for the remainder of your college experience. She was judgemental and flakey as all get out, but she had drawn you into her whirlwind life. It was because of her that you went to see Torch! in the first place, saying that you had to stop wallowing in your self-doubt eventually. 

Your previous nights from Kei had been a way of getting away from yourself. He gave you validation, and somewhere along the way you had gone and fallen for him.

Your cigarette had gone out while you were lost in thought. You light it again and take in the cityscape in front of you, so different from the small suburb you lived in. You wonder about the things Kei thinks about while he sits out here, and if he sometimes just listens to music the way you're doing now. The mental image of the two of you sitting on the balcony reading together brings a small smile to your face. 

_ Don't get carried away.  _

"What're you listening to?" 

Kei's unexpected presence beside you causes you to shriek. You fling your cigarette away, sending it sailing over the balcony. Your phone slides from your lap and dangles from the wire of your headphones. Kei jumps back, alarmed by the sheer terror you were exhibiting. 

"DON'T SCARE ME!" You half-shout. You clutch your hand to your chest, trying to steady your heartbeat. You manage to pull your phone back to your lap, letting it rest between your legs. 

"Holy shit, that's how you react when you get scared?" Kei looks down at you with an irritated expression. "And you wonder why I don't like it when you go out alone at night."

"Sorry," you whisper. Your fingers pick at the hem of your athletic shorts. 

"Don't apologize when you haven't done something wrong." Kei brushes a hand through his hair. "And I'll try not to use the fact that you scare easily to my advantage."

"Why do I feel like you're lying?" You pull your ear buds out and pause your music. 

"Because I'm probably lying." His eyes glint behind his glasses. "You hungry?"

"Honestly? My stomach's still a little weird." You wrinkle your nose at the thought of eating. You had never been the type to kill hangovers with greasy food. 

"I told you to pace yourself." Kei clicks his tongue and disappears back inside. He returns with two bottles of what appear to be a meal replacement drink. "Chocolate or strawberry?"

"Chocolate." You take the bottle from him, mumbling a quick thanks as you look it over. "Why do you have these?"

"Easier than eating." Kei shrugs and shakes his drink rapidly. He moves to stand in front of you, leaning against the balcony railing. 

"Let me guess, you're an eat to live kind of person." You shake up your drink and take a tentative sip. It isn't  _ terrible _ , you decide. 

Kei snorts. "It takes up too much time."

"I can't relate. Sister's a baker, remember?" 

"Has she taught you anything?" Kei seems genuinely interested, holding true to his claim of wanting to know  _ everything _ . 

"If I say yes, will you let me use your kitchen?" You grin. 

"Only if you promise not to completely destroy it." He counters. 

"I'll promise to clean it up." You're enjoying this, maybe too much. 

"Alright then." The look he gives you is one of fondness. "I bought more cigarettes and some Gatorade, by the way. I didn't know how bad your hangover would be."

"Kei, I'm touched." You tease. You take another drink of the meal replacement to hide the pleased expression you're sure is growing on your face. 

"I could just stop being nice to you." Kei rolls his eyes. He drains the rest of his drink, making a face as he caps the empty bottle. "Has Hitoka started blowing up your phone yet?"

Your eyes widen. "I wouldn't call it blowing up--"

"If she's texted you more than three times, she's blowing it up." He reaches for the cigarettes and takes one, pausing just long enough to light it. "Did she add you to the 'secret' group chat too?"

"Secret group chat?" You unlock your phone and show him the GroupMe invitation. "This one?"

"Yeah, that one." He says after reading your screen. He taps his empty bottle against the railing. "It's Hitoka, Kags, Daichi, Kenma, and now you, apparently."

"I feel like that's a very specific group of people." You narrow your eyes. 

"I'm not supposed to know about it, but Hitoka can't keep a secret to save her life." Kei studies the ash at the end of his cigarette. "Don't feel obligated to join or anything."

You take a long sip of your drink, using the time to consider your response. "Are Hinata and Kageyama together?"

"It's complicated." Kei says slowly. 

"Kuro and Kenma?"

"Hell no. But someone has to keep up with him." Kei scoffs. 

"What's this chat for, Kei?" You stand up, leaving your phone on the chair. 

"Apparently there was a need for a support group." Kei looks away from you. He talks between taking drags of his cigarette. "Feel free to just ignore it. It's mostly venting about us being gone all the time, and comparing updates when we travel."

The pieces slowly click together in your mind. True to form, your mouth starts moving quicker than your brain. "I'll just ignore it if that makes you feel better. I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you into anything, you know. Hitoka probably just assumed that this is more than what it actually is."

"And how would you define  _ it _ , exactly?" He stares at a spot in the distance. 

You're too afraid to answer. You fiddle with the bottle in your hands, twisting and untwisting the cap repeatedly. 

"You're really bad at communicating your thoughts." Kei starts. "You can be incredibly unaware, you're naive, and you have terrible self-esteem."

Your cheeks flush in embarrassment. You hug your arms around yourself. "Thanks for that, I guess."

"Did I miss anything?" He finally looks at you, cooking his eyebrow. You shake your head, fighting the urge to either punch him or hide in the closet. "Your turn then."

"What?" You sputter. 

"I'll start you off." He finishes off his cigarette and tosses it into the ashtray. He's suddenly way too focused in on you, making you feel remarkably small beneath his gaze. "I've got control issues."

"You're also really bad at communicating." You cross your arms, trying to comprehend what was happening. "You're a total asshole."

He chuckles at that. "And yet you still like me."

"An  _ arrogant _ asshole," you furrow your brow. 

"You're not wrong." His expression softens a bit. "Am  _ I _ wrong, though?"

"About which part?"

"You do like me, don't you?" He cocks his head to the side. 

You involuntarily flush. "I mean, we sleep together."

Kei's shoulders shake with laughter. He covers his face with his palm, hiding his amused expression. "I kind of said the same thing to Tadashi." He takes a moment to recover and pushes his glasses back into place. "I really don't mind having you around, you know."

"What a compliment." You mumble. 

"I'm trying to tell you that I  _ want _ you to be around." Kei rests a hand on your shoulder and rolls the strap of your cami beneath his thumb. "Not good at communicating, remember?"

Your breath hitches in your throat. "Then just say that."

"Okay," he stares at the space between the two of you. "I'll say that, despite any of the bad shit you see about yourself, I still want you. And the more I learn about you, the more that want grows."

"Kei, I-" you swallow. Your chest floods with emotion. "I feel the same way."

The hand on your shoulder tightens. "It'll be hard for us, do you realize that? You're two thousand miles away most of the time, and--"

"I'm not worried about that part." You bring your hand up to his and squeeze it gently. "You're you. I don't get why, I mean, why would you want me, of all people?"

"Same reason you want me, even though I'm--" he smirks, "--an arrogant asshole."

"You asked for it!" You protest. 

"I did." His arm slides around your shoulders. He pulls you against his chest, and for once he doesn't quite tense whenever your body meets his. "Would you consider being mine?"

You nod into his shirt, thankful that he doesn't get to see the look on your face. You're sure that you're probably grinning like an idiot. "Do I get to call you my boyfriend?"

"Pick a different one." He toys with the ends of your hair. 

"Significant other?"

"Too long, and SO doesn't feel right."

You sigh. "We'll figure it out."

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not 100% on this chapter, but here we go!
> 
> There's so much more to be written in this world, ugh. I would love to hear what you all would like to see--more time with their friends? Drama? Music scenes? I'm all ears for suggestions!
> 
> (And obvs, more smut is happening.)
> 
> As always, comments, bookmarks, kudos are love.


	7. Partners

Two more full days, then you fly out on the third. 

Kei accepts this fact. Kei has grasped that the time he has left with you can be measured in hours, while the time apart will be measured in months. Three of them, to be exact. Kei refuses to be the type of person to mark days off on a calendar, or start a cheesy countdown timer on his phone, but he's well aware that he'll be creating mental notches for each day that passes. 

_ "You don't have to call every day, just most days." _

You had been so gentle when you'd said that. Kei couldn't tell if you were reassuring him or yourself that the two of you would manage. You had gone longer without seeing each other; the spark always seemed to be there no matter how long it had been. Part of him wanted you to show some form of worry or insecurity about the situation, however you showed nothing but confidence that yes, this relationship can work. Maybe you had just been able to sense his feelings and pushed your own aside to comfort him. 

Touch was your way to fill the space in a room, Kei had learned. Once he stopped shying away from it, he was able to pick up on the small ways you communicated--a quick squeeze of his hand meant you agreed with him, a brush across his back whenever you passed behind him, or toying with his hair whenever you were relaxed. 

It also served as a way to bring him out of his head, something he would be eternally grateful for even if he never said it. 

"So my best friend was the one who made me go out to the show that night," your hand finds his knee underneath the table, tapping it lightly. The gesture snaps him back to reality, bringing his attention back to the busy Mexican restaurant where the two of you had met Hinata, Kageyama, Daichi, and Suga. Kei refused to call it a triple date, much to your amusement. "I originally said no, but I overheard my roommate making fun of me for never leaving the dorm."

"What a bitch." Suga is fully absorbed in your story. He's sitting across from you with his elbows propped up on the black tabletop. Daichi is beside him, with Hinata and Kageyama sitting at opposite ends of the table. 

You nearly choke on your drink, a giant margarita that Kei had cautioned you against ordering in the first place. "She wasn't  _ that  _ bad."

"She was only being honest." Kei teases. His fingers are busy breaking up a tortilla chip into tiny pieces with no intention of actually eating it. Anything to distract him from the irritating way Hinata was shoving chips into his mouth while shooting angry glances at Kageyama.

"It had been a bad year," you shrug sheepishly. Kei immediately regrets his words. He slides a hand under the table and squeezes your thigh lightly in a silent apology. "Anyway, I thought I had done a good job at not standing out, until Tadashi somehow managed to find me after. And that's when it started, I guess."

Suga clasps his hands together excitedly. "You've got to tell us your side now, Tsukki!"

"Pass." Kei pushes his pile of chip pieces around on his appetizer plate with a long finger. He can feel your curious gaze boring into him but he chooses to ignore it. He hadn't told you his story, he sure as sure as shit wasn't about to recount the night with the present company. 

"You're no fun," Hinata says through a mouthful of chips. Kei makes a face of disgust in response. 

"Tell me your all's story, Suga." You lean forward, taking a sip of your margarita without picking it up from the table. Your hand comes to rest on Kei's knee. 

"Well," Suga dramatically bats his eyes at a flustered Daichi. "It was fate, really. Imagine an innocent, twenty year old me, just minding my own--"

"They met on Grindr." Kageyama mutters. 

"The hell, Kags!" Suga sputters. 

"Grindr?" You cock your head to the side. 

Hinata starts speaking far too loudly for Kei's liking. "Yeah, Grindr! It's a dating app, but people mostly use it for--"

"I'm stopping you right there." Kei buries his face in his hands. 

"A dating app?" You tap the side of your glass thoughtfully. "But that's really cool, right? The chances of finding an actual relationship on those things is pretty low from what I hear."

Kageyama snorts, "Yeah, I'm sure they were looking for a relationship."

"I don't know about Daichi--" Suga’s sentence is cut off by Daichi slamming his beer down on the table. 

"I think Mei gets the point." Daichi says through his teeth. 

"It's not that big of a deal." You cautiously glance around the table. "You're Kei's age, right? You guys have been together for a long time."

"We're thirty, so it's been about eight years, give or take." Daichi brushes his thumb over Suga's cheek warmly. "It took a while to make things official."

'I'm sensing a common theme here." Suga catches Daichi's hand in his own and gives Kei a devilish grin. 

Your eyes widen in understanding, and Kei has to stop himself from poking fun at your "aha" moment. "Are we starting in on the two idiots now?" He leans back and glances between Hinata and Kageyama. 

"There's nothing to talk about." Kageyama huffs. 

"We met in high school." Hinata stops shoving chips in his mouth and stares down at the table. Kei is as insensitive as they come, and even he is able to see Hinata is out of sorts. 

"Hinata hasn't changed much." Kageyama leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. "He's still the same moron I met back then."

_ Moron, really? _

"I'm assuming your vocabulary hasn't improved since high school either." Kei gives Kageyama a side-eye. 

"You know you're dating an ass, right?" Kageyama's attention goes to you. 

"I'm aware, thank you." You flash Kageyama a wide smile, which sends Suga into a fit of laughter. "So you two are high school sweethearts, I guess?"

Hinata swirls his straw around in his water glass. "Nah, Tobio wasn't out back then." His eyes flash with a sudden realization. "Which means I get to claim liking him first."

Kei's ears perk up at the sound of Kageyama's given name. He didn't often hear the pair use each other's first names, even though they had been, well, whatever they were to each other for years at this point. Hinata had mentioned Kageyama's family wasn't as accepting as his own, a fact that Kei had stored away in his 'Topics to Only Bring Up if I Want to Destroy Them' folder. 

"Listen, jackass, just because I didn't say anything back then…" Kageyama stops himself. His face turns red from either irritation or embarrassment, Kei isn't sure. "It doesn't matter anyway."

"Oh? Are you sure it doesn't?" Hinata cocks his head to the side. Kei figures that his expression would be intimidating, if Hinata wasn't the one doing it. "Because it definitely mattered the last time we had this conversation."

"Is this really what you two argue about?" Daichi rolls his eyes. 

"There's more to it than that." Kageyama pinches the bridge of his nose. "New subject."

Kei can tell that Daichi is itching to say something based on the pained expression on his face. Suga obviously senses this as well and catches Daichi's attention by flicking his boyfriend's cheek. Meanwhile, you wrap both of your hands around your drink and take a long sip. Kei can tell you're lost in thought as a result of the conversation, something he mentally notes to ask about later. For now, he simply reaches over to brush his calloused fingertips over the back of your hand, a silent reminder to  _ slow down _ . 

The server eventually appears, plunking down another basket of tortilla chips. "Sorry it's taking so long guys." He places another margarita in front of you, giving you a small wink as he does. 

You look down at your half-empty glass, then back at the server. "Did I order another drink?"

"That one's on me." He seemingly tunes out the rest of the table, zeroing in on you. Kei is keenly aware of two things in this moment: the way your shoulders are drawing up to your ears and the way Daichi and Suga are staring him down. Kei knows they're expecting him to tear down the waiter with a well-formed insult or two, and as much as Kei wants to live up to that expectation, the ringing in his ears prevents him from thinking clearly. 

_ What's wrong with me? _

Why does this bother him so much?

Men are going to notice you. Kei isn't so self-involved to not realize this. He won't be the only person to find you attractive or want to tease that brilliant smile to your face. Still,  _ knowing _ it and  _ seeing _ it are two completely different things, and it annoys him with how much it's affecting him. For a split second he wishes he were more like Tanaka or Kuroo. Neither of them would hesitate to throw an arm around you to prove a point. Would you even want him to do that? Or would it just piss you off?

_ Fuck it.  _

Kei makes a show of draping an arm over the back of your chair. He leans forward, completely invading your personal space as he grabs the oversized margarita and runs his tongue over the salt around the rim. He brings the glass to his lips and gives the server the best glare he can muster as he slowly starts draining the glass. He doesn't break eye contact as he steadily chugs it down, mentally willing the other man to break before he did. Kei might have a sweet tooth, but he hates overly sweet drinks and this was quickly threatening to trigger his gag reflex. It didn't help that the margarita had a noticeably high amount of tequila mixed in, a fact that only made Kei angrier. 

Your shoulders relax and shake slightly. Kei realizes you're fighting back laughter. 

_ Well, at least someone's amused.  _

"Can I get another beer?" Kei hears Daichi ask. The question finally causes the waiter to break his attention away from Kei. 

"I'll take one too. With lime, please." Suga chimes in. "Do you need my ID?"

"Um, no. I'll be right back." The server gives Kei one last mortified look before turning on his heel, leaving the six of them in a momentary silence. Kei takes the opportunity to set the offending margarita down and slide it away from him. 

Everyone seems to start talking at once. 

"TSUKISHIMA! That was so cool!" Hinata. 

"You might as well have laid your dick out on the table while you were at it." Kageyama. 

"So vulgar, Kags!" Suga. 

"Are you okay?" You. 

"So much for limiting my intake tonight." Daichi. 

Kei takes a second to reorient himself. He ignores Hinata and Kageyama's comments. His actions weren't 'cool', not by any means. It was a stupid display of possessiveness that his stomach would hate him for later. He should've just let it go. 

"Sorry," he mumbles to you, removing his arm from the back of your chair. 

"Why? I'd kiss you right now if I knew you wouldn't be weird about it." You slap your hand over your mouth, having obviously spoken without really thinking about it. 

"Noted." Kei doesn't deny your statement. You were right, he  _ would _ be weird about it. There were certain displays that he was only comfortable with doing in private or around close friends. "I would've been carrying your ass home had you drank that."

"Let me try it!" Hinata practically dives at the margarita and swallows an alarming amount. He lets out a loud laugh, "He was totally trying to get you drunk, Mei."

"Suga, take that away from him." Kageyama narrows his eyes. "You've got an early flight tomorrow and I refuse to deal with you having a hangover in the morning."

"Stop treating me like a fucking child." Hinata mutters, but doesn't protest when Suga slides the drink out of his reach. "I won't get hungover from one drink you know."

"Where are you going?" You ask in an attempt to break some of the tension.

"Oh, I'm visiting my little sister." Hinata beams at your question and launches into a spiel about Natsu and her accomplishments, the previous exchange apparently forgotten. Still, Kei knows Hinata well enough to see the sadness that lurks deep within his eyes. 

"Settle things before he leaves tomorrow." Kei can hear Daichi quietly say to Kageyama. His words are met with a soft, begrudging agreement. 

Kei finds your hand underneath the table and squeezes it tightly, finding a sense of comfort in the warmth of your palm. He forces himself to briefly study both Kageyama's and Hinata's faces, trying to discern what could be the cause of their current feud. He normally wouldn't care as much. Maybe you'd made him softer, in a way. That, coupled with Kageyama being a near-constant presence among his found family over the last several years had only increased Kei's longing to keep things as they were. While his relationship with you is brand new and exciting, he can already feel the impact of having someone  _ important _ to hold onto. 

Audience be damned. He brings your hand up to his mouth and presses a kiss to your fingers where they intertwine with his. You turn to him and give him a lopsided smile in response. 

This is what he had needed. 

///

"This is how people in relationships get lazy." 

Your declaration causes Kei to smirk against your chest. The two of you had woken up at least half an hour ago and had yet to move from beneath the blankets. You're laying on your back, with Kei once again curled on his side with his head on your chest. You're still not sure of how this came to be the preferred sleeping position for the two of you, but you're not complaining. It gave you full access to play with his hair and stare down at his criminally high cheekbones and pale lashes. 

"I'll be back in the gym on Monday," he promises. His fingers absently trace over your collarbone. 

"You know, if we both stop smoking we'd probably have a lot more success on that whole front." You muse. 

"I workout because I  _ have  _ to, and I smoke because I  _ want _ to. Big difference." He snorts. "We have walked a lot this week, so I guess that makes up for it."

"And I thoroughly plan to ruin it all with the French toast I'm about to make for you." You plant a kiss on the top of his head. "With strawberries, of course."

Kei exhales loudly through his nose, one of his many ways of masking excitement. "We're doing laundry after."

"Do we really need to?" You groan. 

"I need to wash the sheets, and I'm not watching you shove all of your dirty clothes into that suitcase." He raises his head up just enough to look at you through narrowed eyes. "Something tells me you won't unpack for at least a week after you get home."

"I get busy, okay?" You roll your eyes. 

He rolls over so that he's on top of you, caging you in with a forearm on either side of you. "And what makes you so busy?"

It's moments like this that remind you of exactly how intense Kei can be. Kei doesn't ask questions to be polite, he asks them because he strongly needs to know the answer. Apparently being an intellect translated into all facets of his life. 

"Nothing you don't already know." You shift your eyes off to the side. "My social life is pretty pathetic most of the time, so it's mostly just work and the bakery."

He makes a small 'hm' noise, mulling over what you'd just said. "What time are you usually up in the morning?"

He's so obvious sometimes. 

"Kei," you trace the pattern of his tattoo, on full display thanks to his lack of a shirt. "Unless I'm dead asleep or completely covered in frosting I'm always going to answer your calls."

"I'm more concerned about your laundry." Kei's voice is flat, but the softness in his eyes tells you your words aren't lost on him. He lowers himself down, putting his entire weight on you, and hides his face in the crook of your neck. 

"You're squishing me!" You complain, squirming beneath him. 

"Deal with it." His voice is muffled. He forces his arms underneath you, wrapping you into an awkward embrace and effectively pinning you beneath him. 

While you can't say you mind Kei being affectionate, his current method is somewhat alarming. "What are you doing?" 

"Don't laugh."

Unfortunately for you, you can't hear that phrase without feeling the need to giggle. "I'll do my best."

"You leaving is stressing me out." He manages to press himself tighter against you. 

You feel a squeezing sensation in your chest, and it isn't coming from Kei's arms being wrapped around you so tightly. You force your feelings back, willing yourself to put on a brave face for the both of you. You knew Kei didn't share his feeling freely, making the admission all the more meaningful. As much as you wanted to tell him that you were already dreading your flight home, you didn't want to add to his stress. 

"So we'll pretend." You suck in a breath. "We'll pretend up until I have to pack tonight."

"You make it sound like we're playing house." Kei chuckles.

"Not playing house, just…" you stare up at the ceiling. "Enjoying it while we can, I guess."

He makes a small noise of affirmation before raising himself back up, untangling his limbs from your body. "Yesterday didn't help."

"Are you still pissed off at that waiter?" You take the opportunity to free your arms from the blankets in order to take his face in your hands. "Kei, you literally have a fan page on Instagram, you can't get so salty over one guy hitting on me."

"God, you found that?" Kei furrows his brow. 

"I run it." 

"You're joking." Kei's face is a hilarious mix of anger and surprise. "Fuck. Tell me you're joking."

"Your face," you wheeze. "I'm joking, I promise."

"Now you see why I barely post anything." He rolls off of you, landing face first on his pillow next to you. "This is why Kuroo and Suga have multiple accounts. Hinata just doesn't care."

"Why don't you have a separate personal account?" You move to your side and prop yourself up on one arm. "You can focus on promoting your music on the public account, then post whatever you want on the other."

"Just thinking about having to do that is exhausting." Kei turns his head to face you, his eyes squinting in an attempt to focus. 

You chew on the inside of your lip. "I can help you, if you want. With the public account. I manage the bakery's Instagram."

"What's that going to cost me?" He eyes you warily. 

You sit up, letting the covers fall around your waist as you stretch your arms out, taking the time to consider your words. There was a fine line when it came to Kei--you had a deep-seeded fear of saying something that would come off as too clingy or too sickeningly sweet. "Consider it a thank you for bringing me here."

"And why would you feel the need to thank me, hm?" The mattress creaks as Kei moves around behind you. You feel his breath hot on the back of your neck as he sits up behind you. His hands slide up your waist, wrinkling the fabric of the oversized t-shirt you'd slept in. "You didn't have to say yes when I asked."

"Still," you draw your knees up to your chest, suddenly feeling quite small. 

He's having none of it. He pulls you back against him and rests his chin on your shoulder. "Still what?"

"You didn't have to ask in the first place." You murmur.

"Stop that." He tightens his grip on your waist. "Stop telling yourself that I don't want this as much as you do."

"Just call me Cleopatra," you joke in an attempt to lighten the mood. 

Your humor is apparently lost on Kei. "What?"

"Queen of denial?" You turn around, only to be met with Kei's confused expression. You adjust to mirror his position, sitting Lotus style with your knees against his. "You know, Mark Twain? 'Denial ain't just a river in Egypt', don't tell me you've never heard that."

He makes a face. "Wait, am I Caesar or Antony?" 

"Antony, I'd hope." An idea suddenly strikes you, but before you can act on it--

"We are  _ not  _ going as Cleopatra and Antony to the wedding."

You gape at him. "How did you know?"

"That's confidential." The smug look on his face would typically annoy you, but with Kei it was different. Then again, most things were different when it came to Kei. 

"You're not being fair." You lean forward and rest your forehead against his, taking in the unobstructed view of his amber eyes. You were selfishly happy that he always wore glasses--it meant that very few people got to see how gorgeous his eyes really are. 

He cups your cheek with one hand, "You say that as if you’re not fully capable of reading me as well.”

“Does that bother you?” You lean into his touch, searching his eyes for any sign of discomfort. 

“Maybe not as much as it should.” He lets out a conflicted sigh. 

“You know,” you bite your lip, still finding yourself hesitant about expressing your deepest feelings. “It’s as if we’ve been together for a lot longer than a few days.”

He nods slowly, much to your relief. His eyes shift downward, hiding the storm that you knew was emerging in his gaze. For a moment you worry you pushed too far with your suggestion, until he finally speaks again. 

“I’m not interested in the whole ‘casual dating’ game. That’s why I--” he swallows. His hand drops from your face and down to his lap, where he twists his fingers anxiously. “That’s why I would usually stick to hookups or whatever you want to call them. I wanted to make that clear.”

“But this is different," you clarify. 

Kei's eyes find yours again. "Would you call me your partner?"

_ Partner. _ It wasn’t a word you had considered, honestly, yet you could see Kei’s reasoning behind liking the term. Something about it felt solid and unfleeting. It gave you a grasp on the depth of Kei’s feelings for you; you knew he wouldn’t be the type to spell out exactly what he was thinking, but that solitary word was enough. 

And you felt it too. 

"You're my partner." Your face involuntarily pulls into a wide grin. "That makes it sound like we're in this together, doesn't it?"

"God, that's so corny. Accurate, but still really corny." He gives you a small, chaste kiss. "Say it again."

"My partner." You draw out the word, your lips brushing against his as you speak. "And I'm yours."

Kei’s fingers tangle in your hair, “Again.”

“I’m yours. Kei, I’m yours.” You rub your nose against his, your body buzzing with emotion. 

You can feel the smile on his face as he presses his lips to yours hungrily. His nails dig into your scalp as he deepens the kiss, pulling the breath from your lungs. Your heart hammers in your chest and you feel a familiar urge building up in your stomach. You clamor into his lap, feeling the need to be as close to him as possible. You clasp your hands behind his neck and wrap your legs around his waist. He immediately responds by pushing his hips up against yours, the thin fabric of his sleeping boxers doing little to shield the heat of his own desire. He breaks away from your mouth in order to pull your shirt over your head, leaving you fully exposed to him, save for your panties. 

“You’re mine,” he growls. He easily maneuvers you back onto the mattress and yanks the covers away, throwing them to the floor. He’s back on you in an instant, pulling your legs open and running his large hands over your thighs and up to your stomach. “Say it.”

“I’m yours.” You fall to his demands easily, basking in the way his eyes cloud with arousal when the words fall from your lips. You can’t deny the effect on your own body, either. You grasp your breasts, rolling them under your palms and moaning softly. 

“Fuck,” his eyes widen as he watches your display. He palms himself through his boxers as one of your hands travels downward to stroke yourself above your underwear. You’ve nearly soaked through the fabric, a fact that isn’t lost on Kei given the way his gaze lingers between your legs. 

“Mark me, Kei.” You’re lost in the thought of  _ belonging _ to him. 

“Where?” He lowers himself over you, not quite letting his chest meet yours.

“Everywhere,” you gasp, withdrawing your hand from between your legs so you can grind up against him. 

He starts on your neck, nursing the existing bruises on either side by sucking on them gently before moving to your collarbone. He follows a pattern, using his teeth to leave symmetrical marks on the underside of your breasts, along your ribcage, and down to your hips. He’s handling your body with an extreme amount of care, adjusting the pressure when you let out a cry of pain. HIs tongue caresses each bruise soothingly before moving to the next, leaving your purpled skin with a fine sheen of saliva. You half expect him to tease your clit when he reaches your thighs, instead he purposefully ignores it in his pursuit of satisfying your request. 

You let out a sharp gasp as his teeth meet your sensitive inner thigh. He squeezes your leg softly, beckoning you to look at him. When you do, you’re able to see the burning devotion in his eyes as he continues leaving patches along your upper legs, stopping just short of your knees. He looks at you almost expectantly as he sits back up on his heels. 

You tilt your chin to observe Kei’s work. Your fingers trace over your swollen flesh, enjoying the small twinges as you brush over the wounds. The sight leaves you breathless, and you enjoy knowing that you’ll be left with the evidence of him all over you for the days to come. This is what you had wanted--a concrete way of knowing he’d claimed you.

“They look good on you.” Kei’s hands cover your own, moving with you as you continue tracing over your form. There’s a hint of a question in his voice.

“They’re perfect, Kei.” Your words give him the approval you didn’t quite realize that he’d needed. He looks incredibly pleased with himself, his expression shifting into the cockiness of a hunter that had caught his prey. One of his hands travels up to your neck, and he presses his fingers to the pulse point beneath your jaw.

“Is this what being mine does to you?” He leans forward, running his tongue over his teeth. “I haven’t even touched your pussy and your heart’s already pounding.”

You can only whimper in response, the heat rising to your face as a result of his statement. A smile creeps over his face as his hand circles around your neck, squeezing just enough to slightly constrict your airflow, but not enough to fully choke you. 

“Do you want me to fuck you?” He taunts. 

“Please,” you manage to gasp. 

“You might want to grab the headboard, then.” Kei releases your neck and taps your nose almost playfully. 

It takes you a moment to react in your aroused state. Once you’re able to process his words, you scramble to slide your underwear down your legs and toss them away. Your legs are already trembling as you turn around to grasp the top of the headboard, bringing your ass up and your chest down until it nearly touches the mattress. You feel extremely exposed in this position, but you’re fully aware of what seeing you in such a state does to Kei. 

You hear him shuffling around behind you, presumably to rid himself of his boxers. He covers you with his body, pressing his thighs to the back of your legs and his chest to your back, balancing himself on his hands. You can feel his exposed cock hard against your backside, rubbing against your skin.

“Always so eager…” He presses a kiss to your shoulder, “But I believe I have a job to finish here.”

“What do you--” Your words morph into a low moan as his teeth replace his lips on your shoulder. He flicks his tongue over the bite, sending a shiver down your spine. He repeats the action on your other shoulder, pausing briefly to whisper:

“You said  _ everywhere _ , darling.”

You grip the headboard until your knuckles turn white. He moves down your back, nipping and sucking on your skin. You weren’t sure if your back had always been this sensitive, or if it was the way Kei was touching you. Your chin drops to your chest as he continues downward, eventually reaching the curve of your ass. 

Kei finally pays attention to your throbbing clit, reaching under to you to rub small circles around it. He surprises you with a rough, bruising bite on your left buttcheck, letting out a low groan as he does. He penetrates you with two long fingers as he sucks deeply on your flesh. The sensation causes your legs to shake uncontrollably, the mix of pain and pleasure causing your mind to nearly blank out. He releases your skin with a loud  _ pop _ , leaving behind what you’re sure to be the largest bruise yet. 

“One more. Can you handle it?” His fingers twist inside of you, brushing against your g-spot with each stroke. 

“God, yes. I can handle it. Please.” You’re too far gone to be embarrassed by the desperation in your voice. Your breath hitches as he acts on his words, his mouth moving to the other side and gives it the same treatment. He pistons his fingers in and out of you as he does. Your walls clench and flutter around his fingers.

You whine as he pulls away from you, leaving you feeling empty with the loss of his digits inside of you. You hear him exhale loudly from behind you as he takes in the sight of your shaking, needy form. 

“So pretty,” Kei’s voice is barely above a whisper, clearly taking pride in what he’s done to you. He rubs the head of his dick along the back of your thigh, leaving a trail of precum behind. “Need to move?”

Your shoulders are screaming at you in this position, something you’d failed to notice until he asked. Still, you find yourself shaking your head, wanting him to take you like this. He rubs the small of your back approvingly, then moves to get a condom from their usual place in the nightstand. You rub your thighs together while you wait, anxious to relieve the growing ache inside of you. Fortunately he moves quickly and repositions himself behind you, nudging your legs back open. He strokes himself along your entrance for a few painfully teasing moments before he inches inside you until his hips are pressed against the backs of your thighs. 

Kei’s fingers dig into your hips. He stills for a minute, allowing you both to adjust to the angle. You can feel every inch of his hardened length stretching you almost uncomfortably. He waits for your breathing to steady before he moves, pulling out almost entirely before slamming into you again, causing both of you to moan loudly. He sets a rough pace from there, thrusting his hips into you hard enough to send the sounds of skin slapping against skin through the room. Your arms tremble with the strain of keeping your hold on the headboard. Your efforts are nearly lost as he moves to rub your clit, intent on bringing you to your peak. 

The combination is enough to set your nerves on fire, building on the coiling feeling in your lower stomach. The squelching sounds coming from your entrance only encourage him further, bringing him to angle himself deeper into you and increase the pressure against your clit. The stimulation leaves you a whimpering mess as your release hits you, causing you to spasm and let go of the headboard. Your head drops to the mattress as you ride through your peak, crying out his name. 

He pulls out of you, allowing you to roll over on your back. When you do, you’re able to see the way he’s looking at you with half-lidded eyes, cloudy with want. You hold your arms out to him, needing to feel him close to you again, needing him to find his own release. He’s more than eager to comply, easily pulling your hips back to his and bottoming out inside of you. Your legs circle around him, followed by your arms as he lowers himself on top of you, his face hovering above yours. He starts moving again, intent on using you until he is satisfied. He hisses as your nails rake across his back and you immediately ease up, unable to interpret the reaction.

“Harder,” he grunts against your forehead. “Your nails. Harder.” 

“You like that?” You scratch along his back again, and this time Kei moans, squeezing his eyes shut as the sensation takes him. It’s an incredible sound, and it pushes you to do it again, this time reaching to include the flesh around his ribs. He huffs out an affirmative, his eyes opening again to bore into yours. You can feel him pulsing inside of you, his movements growing erratic.

“I’m yours, Mei.” His voice is strained. 

You press your nails into a spot you’d already marked over, “You’re mine.”

Your words give him the push he needs to fall over the edge. His lips crash against yours as he pumps into you one final time, sending a rush of heat through your lower body. He’s in no rush to slide out of you, instead he rolls over to his side, pulling you along with him in a tangle of limbs. You’re both shaking and panting from the activity, something you’re used to seeing on yourself, not so much on Kei. 

“Still in denial?” He brushes your hair away from your face and gazes at your flushed face. 

You give him a lazy smirk. "I might need more convincing."

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE LAST WEEK *dramatic Kuroo-style bow*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed with how much love y'all are showing me. Seriously, it is so appreciated. I go back and read comments when I'm stuck and they help me so much. 
> 
> A commenter suggested that I tag this as Kei x OC, since reader has a name. I'll be updating that shortly.
> 
> One more chapter to go, followed by an epilogue, and this part of the story will be complete! I'm already crying a little inside over our two heroes saying goodbye for a while, but I've got some entertaining moments planned for part three. (Hifumi might be my favorite OC I've ever created and I can't wait to introduce you all to her.)
> 
> Let me know your thoughts/suggestions! <3


	8. One More Cigarette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grab your emotional support animal.

**Kenma (11:48 PM):** flights at 12 tomorrow right

**Kenma (11:48 PM):** will you have wifi

**Me (7:05 am):** Yep, well today now. and I think so. Why?

**Kenma (7:10 am):** i'll start streaming at 12:30 

**Kenma (7:11 am):** if you want to hang out

**Me (7:12 am):** I'll be there. 😄 Do you ever sleep?

**Kenma (7:13 am):** i exist until i dont 

Kenma’s response makes you giggle, despite the pit in your stomach that grows with every passing minute. You can practically hear the gamer's deadpan voice through his texts, which reminds you of why he entertained you so much in the first place. You often found yourself surrounded by larger than life personalities, so having someone so calm was refreshing. 

Thinking about Kenma was easier than thinking about what was directly in front of you--an almost entirely packed suitcase and a calendar notification that your flight was coming up in a few hours. 

Kei is watching you from the edge of the bed as you finish getting ready in the bathroom. You decide to forego wearing makeup, already fighting back tears you've promised yourself not to cry until he was out of sight. 

"Kenma says he's going to stream during my flight." You say in an attempt to break the awkward silence between the two of you. You finish rubbing lotion on your arms and start tossing your toiletries into a travel bag. 

"I never understood the appeal of watching someone else play games." Kei responds as he picks non-existent lint off his jeans. 

"I didn't either until I started watching him." You  _ accidentally  _ forget to add your lotion to your bag and zip it shut. You quickly leave the bathroom, hoping it would go unnoticed. "It's like hanging out with someone without actually having to interact with them."

"Huh." He gets that distant look on his face that tells you he's slipping into his own thoughts. You cross over to him, holding the bag out. He'd insisted on doing the majority of your packing himself, saying that his method would prevent your clothes from being so wrinkled whenever you unpacked. You'd cringed at the thought of him packing your underwear, which led to a not-so-gentle reminder of "I eat you out, I can touch your fucking underwear".

"This should be it." You shake the bag in front of his face. 

He snaps out of his reverie and takes the bag. "About time," he huffs. He rises, giving you a curious look. "You're not covering them?"

You self-consciously touch one of the marks on your neck, only-half hidden by your hair. "Should I?"

"Your sister won't freak out?" He stands up and moves to add the bag to your suitcase, turning his back to you. 

"She knows what I'm up to. You'll get it when you meet her." You shrug. "Which, she does want to meet you, by the way. Don't be surprised if she insists on a video call tomorrow."

"I'll clear my schedule." Kei snorts. He slowly zips your suitcase, the sound only adding to the tension in the room. "I haven't told Akiteru about us yet. I'm not prepared for that conversation."

Part of you thinks Kei's admission should bother you, but you're all too versed in just how complicated sibling relationships can be. "He's a lot older than you, right?"

"Seven years." He nods, letting out a small exhale before he continues. "Mom had to work a lot, so he was always pretty overbearing when she couldn't be."

"Here's to siblings that act like parents." You half-joke. 

"You too, huh?" 

"Yeah, but that's a conversation for later." You approach him from behind and wrap your arms around his waist, letting your head rest in the center of his back. "Maybe during one of our virtual dates."

"Do you really have to call them that?" You can practically hear him rolling his eyes. Despite his words, he laces his fingers through yours and pulls your arms tighter around him. "I'm going to get better at texting. Hold me to it."

"You don't have to." You squeeze your eyes shut, trying to block out thinking about how this is the last day for three months that you'll be able to hold him like this. 

"Why? Are you not going to text me back?" He mumbles. 

"You know I'll text you back, don't be stupid." You press a kiss into his shirt. 

"Good, because I'll blow up your phone until you do." He starts walking to the kitchen, half-dragging you along with him. He ignores the way you struggle against his grip, only stopping to grab a pack of cigarettes from the counter. 

"You could've just said you wanted a cigarette!" You pout, finally managing to twist yourself out of his arms. 

"You're too slow." Kei gives you the side eye and brushes past you to head out to the balcony. 

"Why are you in such a hurry? Are you that anxious to drop me off?" You follow behind him, forgetting to mask the irritation in your voice. The way his shoulders tense up isn't lost on you. 

"Yeah, that’s exactly what’s going through my head.” He takes a cigarette and lights it before shoving the pack and the lighter into your hands. He props himself against the balcony railing, his long frame blocking the view of the rising sunlight behind him. 

“Thought so.” You plop yourself down on the chair, disguising the frown on your face by squeezing a cigarette between your lips. It takes you several tries to light it, the lighter not quite catching a spark on the first few tries. 

Kei regards you behind his glasses, an unreadable expression on his face. “You don’t actually believe that, do you?”

“Not entirely.” You focus your gaze on the trail of smoke coming from your cigarette, watching it dance around the air above your head. Your brain spirals with all the words you wish you could muster the courage to say. You’re going to miss him, you’re worried that he’ll get impatient with the distance. He’ll eventually get tired of talking on the phone and stop contacting you. 

“Believe what you want, then.” He folds an arm over his chest. You can hear the gears shifting in his head as he tilts his head upward to exhale a long trail of smoke. “Do you remember what you were wearing the night we met?”

His question catches you off guard. “Should I?”

“What about what I was wearing?” He adjusts his glasses, something you’ve learned he does more out of habit than necessity. 

_ He’s got a point here, I’m sure of it. _

“You had on a flannel. Green. You let me wear it outside.” You recall, ashing your cigarette. “Oh, and you wore those high-tops with the little skulls on them.”

“Mhm. And your friends that were with you?” He raises an eyebrow.

“I have no idea.” You admit. You barely remembered who was with you that night--Kimmi, for sure. Alisa had insisted on coming with Lev. You sure as hell couldn’t remember what they had been  _ wearing _ of all things. 

He works his jaw for a moment, “When I first saw you, I wondered why the hell you had decided to wear one of those shirts that showed your stomach. It was stupid cold that night.”

“One of my friends dressed me.” You cringe at the memory of Kimmi pushing you to wear her clothes, saying your normal getup would make you stand out at a concert. ‘You’ll look like the concert mom!’ she’d said. 

“Knowing you now, that actually explains a lot.” The memory makes him chuckle. “My second thought was ‘how does she not notice me staring at her?’.” 

“Wait, what?” You gape at him.

He crouches down and gestures for the pack of cigarettes. “Your lack of spatial awareness truly astounded me.” You hand him the pack and he pulls out another, lighting it on the end of his first one. “I wanted to tell you this story before you left, if you want to listen.”

You decide not to tell him that you’d listen to him recite the periodic table if he asked. Instead you settle into your chair, drawing your knees up to your chest. “Of course I do.”

“Alright.” The sides of his mouth lifts into a smile.

**///**

**Two years, six months ago.**

“Tell me why we’re here again?” Kei had kept his mouth shut as long as he could about the state of the venue Torch! was preparing to play at that night. Park Barre was the last place he thought he’d be traveling to, given he’d never heard of the smallish city until Tadashi announced it on their list of destinations for their east coast tour. 

“Because it’s a college town.” Tadashi shrugged, too busy trying to keep his nerves from projecting onto everyone around him to deal with Kei’s attitude. He hadn’t been with the band full time for very long at that point and was still learning what it meant to be Torch!’s manager. Sure, he’d helped out from the beginning, reaching out to venues and recording studios on their behalf, but it had taken them a while to the point of needing someone devoted to the job. “Door’s open in five.”

“Heard,” Kei mumbled. He hated this part, when the crowd started pouring in and music would blare over the speakers. He hated listening to Hinata’s excited bursts every time they would get an updated audience count, hated the anticipation and anxiety that came in waves with each passing minute. 

Sure, all of it faded the second the bright stage lights hit him, but the time before was hell.

It could be worse, he figured. At least he wasn’t puking in the dirty employee bathroom with Hinata. 

He needed to go outside, despite the near-freezing temperatures. He could blame his hands shaking on the cold at least. He took long strides through the green room, brushing past Kuroo, who took one look at Kei’s face and knew better than to instigate anything. Everyone who knew Kei had learned there was a stark difference between his normal pissed off expression and his  _ actual _ pissed off expression. It was a look that screamed “don’t speak to me”, one that he’d been wearing more and more lately. 

Too much had been going on in his personal life in the last year, between his ex-sister-in-law disappearing from Akiteru and Sayuri’s lives and his brother’s mental health nearly tanking as a result. Kei was supposed to be the problem child, having thrown away a college scholarship to focus on music. Seeing his brother in such a state had nearly caused him to quit the band all together; he could find something with a more predictable income and be there to help care for his niece. 

Then the new record deal happened, and the tour that came with it. As much as he wanted to be home, this wasn’t something he could simply pass up. Still, all of this weighed heavily on his mind the further they traveled. 

Kei wound up outside in the dark alleyway behind the venue. The air immediately brought goosebumps to his skin, his thin flannel doing little to shield him from the cold. He could hear faint voices coming from around the corner, but he was finally alone. 

Or so he thought.

He could barely see you at first, until his eyes adjusted to the low light. You hadn’t noticed him from your position at the far corner of the building. You leaned against the brick wall, a half-smoked cigarette dangling between two fingers. Kei’s eyes land on the exposed skin of your abdomen, and immediately questions the decisions behind that particular outfit choice. If he had chills, he knew you had to. 

Why did he care?

He cupped his hand around his lighter as he lit a cigarette, halfway hoping the small noise would catch your attention. When it didn’t, he found himself openly staring at you, trying to figure out what you were doing back there in the first place. You had one hand shoved in the pocket of your high-waisted black jeans and stared at the ground as though you were contemplating trying to disappear into it. Your lovely features were twisted into a frown. 

_ Someone that pretty shouldn't look that upset.  _

Kei couldn't quite put his finger on why he found you so intriguing. Was it the slow way you brought your cigarette to your lips? Was it the way you occasionally blew smoke through your nose? Something about you called to him in a way that was foreign to him. 

It took him far too long to realize that he was somewhat mimicking your actions, taking a drag when you did, then exhaling along with you. Never mind that you  _ still _ hadn't noticed him, he was acting borderline creepy. 

Maybe he could find you after the show. 

_ What the fuck am I thinking? _

Your head perked up. Kei braced himself to be discovered, his mind reeling with excuses for his behavior, until he heard a feminine voice calling out. 

"Mei!"

Was that your name?

He watched you take a deep breath and force a smile to your face. Even though Kei knew it was fake, he was still captivated. You moved away from the wall and turned away from him, poking your head around the corner. 

"I'm here." 

Two words. Two fucking words was what it took for Kei to decide that he needed to hear more of your voice. 

"You can't wander off like that!" The other voice grew closer, coupled by what sounded like two pairs of footsteps crunching through the gravel. 

"I was twenty feet away." Kei catches the way you shifted uncomfortably. Even from behind, he could see the stiffness in your posture. 

"You're here to hang out with us, not hide. Weirdo." You're blocking the view of your friend as she rounded the corner, but from what Kei could tell she was scrutinizing your appearance. "What the fuck! How have you chewed off all your lipstick already?"

You brought your cigarette into your friend's field of vision. "You know I smoke."

Kei knew he'd be spotted the moment a silver-haired male joined the two of you. He was tall, maybe even taller than him, with slanted, intense eyes. "You're too cute to smoke!"

"Shut up." You groaned. 

The male looked past you, his gaze immediately landing on Kei. Even though it was dark, Kei saw the all-too-familiar look of recognition that sparked in his eyes. Kei mentally willed him to not say anything. He shrank back against the wall and shook his head, hoping it would be enough to avoid being called out. Much to his relief, your friend gave him a small wink and turned his attention back to you. 

"Come on, doors are open and I've got to fix your face." Your female friend grabbed your wrist and tugged you away, causing you to drop your cigarette to the ground. 

The male lingered behind for a moment. He reached down to grab your cigarette and dispose of it properly. He gave Kei a pointed look. "Good luck tonight."

"Thanks." 

He turned to catch up with you, giving Kei a final wave. Kei noted the way he deliberately called out your name just loud enough for him to hear. 

_ Mei.  _

//

**Present Day**

"You're telling me I have Lev to thank for that night?!" Your hands are covering the blush on your cheeks. "And you were watching me for that long? Kei!"

Your mind is reeling with everything Kei has just told you. His version of the first time the two of you had met was incredibly different than your own. You had no idea that he had spotted you outside before the concert had even started. 

"It was dark. Still doesn't excuse you from not paying attention to your surroundings." Kei had moved to sit with you on the chair during his retelling. He holds you in his lap, facing away from him, with his chin on your shoulder. "Lev did make it easy for Tadashi to find you."

"Still doesn't excuse you being a creep." You retort. Something else clicks together in your brain. "You were really thinking about quitting?"

He nods. 

"I'm glad you didn't." You close your hands over his, letting them rest on your lap. "Is your brother doing better?"

"Better than he was." You can tell you've breached a subject that he wasn't fully prepared to discuss in detail. Whether he realizes it or not, he's painted a picture for you that helps you understand why he seemed to have anxiety towards relationships. It makes your heart hurt, all while sparking determination to be the best partner you can for him. You can only hope that you'll be enough. 

"I'm glad." You mean it too. You change topics, not wanting to push him to talk about it more than he was willing. "I still can't believe you found me that interesting. Did you do that a lot?"

"Nah, that's Kuroo's game, not mine. I was more of the anonymous hookup kind of guy." His admission comes easy. He squeezes his arms around you in an unspoken reassurance. "Past tense."

"Better be." You nuzzle against his cheek. 

"I have what I need." 

You feel a pang in your chest. Hearing him say those words shouldn't hurt, but it does. Suddenly all you can focus on is the fact that you're  _ leaving _ , just when things were going so well between the two of you. 

You don't want to go. 

But you have to. 

You force a smile. 

"We should get going."

//

Kei thoroughly believes that music is the best way of speaking when words just won't work, although he isn't quite sure you're paying attention to his song choices during the ride to the airport. You barely flinch as  _ Will You Return? _ by The Avett Brothers plays through the speakers. You're almost unnaturally strong about the whole situation, brushing off all of his insecurities with simple promises of "we'll be okay" and "it's only three months". He almost wishes you would show  _ some _ sign of weakness or anything that would let on to what you were actually feeling. 

A recent Google search had told him that there were at least 156 songs about missing someone. Some he'd heard, others were new to him. 

He already misses you. 

He wishes he could just say it. 

He notices the way you chew on your nails as he takes the exit leading toward the airport. He reaches over, gently tugging at your wrist until your hand rests on his lap. 

"I'm walking you in." His voice comes out hoarse. He expects to hear one of your sarcastic remarks in response, but all he gets is a short nod. He would've preferred the sarcasm. 

The two of you eventually arrive at the busy airport. Kei manages to find an open spot in the two-hour parking area. Knowing he'll need less than an hour pains him even further, even though he's thankful for the chance to spend just a few more minutes with you. 

_ We've gone from days to hours to minutes.  _

He holds your hand tighter than he needs to during the walk to the terminal. He could probably fool himself into thinking he was coming with you, given the way he was rolling your suitcase behind him and the eerily calm expression on your face. The facade breaks once the two of you navigate through the passenger drop off area, winding up just outside of your airline's entrance. 

"One more cigarette." You stop, just outside of the doors. 

"Okay." He glances around until he finds the smoking area and pulls you along, ignoring the way your hand goes limp in his own. He guides you over to a somewhat secluded area, as far away from other smokers as he could. Your suitcase gets propped against a wall and he releases your hand almost reluctantly. 

"Back pocket," you turn around and point to your backpack. Kei carefully unzips it, finding your usual pack of Parliaments and a lighter. 

You lean into his side while you smoke. Kei takes the hint and wraps an arm around your shoulder, and is met with your arm sliding around his waist. Your fingers slide through one of his belt loops, holding yourself close to him. Your head rests in the crook of his arm, obscuring his view of your face. 

He's almost finished with his cigarette by the time he realizes that you're crying. Your soft sniffles only shatter his heart further. 

"Darling, come here," he pulls you against his chest, letting you bury your face into his shirt. He holds the back of your head and massages your scalp in what he hopes is a soothing gesture. He's by no means well-equipped to handle this sort of situation. Seeing people cry normally made him uncomfortable. Seeing  _ you _ cry was threatening to destroy him. 

The hand holding your cigarette hangs limply at your side, the vice seemingly forgotten as your tears fall freely. You're a quiet crier, a fact that Kei wishes he never had to learn. He kisses the top of your head, his lips lingering in your hair. 

Your eyes are red when you look up at him. There's a hint of embarrassment on your face as you self-consciously pull away to wipe your eyes.

"Sorry. I thought I could hold it together." You can't bring yourself to look at him. You busy your fingers by rolling the remaining tobacco out of your cigarette and watch it fall to the concrete beneath you. 

Kei swallows. He takes the butt from your hand, using the time it took to throw both of the smokes into the disposal to come up with his next words. 

He's not good at this. But he'll try. You deserve that much. 

"We're partners." He grasps your hands in his own once he returns. His voice is thick with emotion that he wasn't aware that he was capable of. "So you don't have to hold it together. Not when you're with me."

"You're not going to make fun of me?" You squeak. 

"Not when what you're feeling is valid." He rubs his thumbs over your clenched fingers. "Now, if you start crying over dumb shit like romantic movies…"

You let out a strangled laugh. "I can accept that."

He adjusts to hold both your hands in one of his so he can brush the stray tears from your cheeks. "I was starting to wonder if you'd actually miss me."

"More than you know." You meet his gaze almost bashfully. 

"Same," Kei's hand drops from your cheek. He chews the inside of his lip, finding himself fighting against his own surge of feelings. "We'll be okay?"

"We'll be okay." It's your turn to pull him into an embrace. He slides his arms beneath the straps of your backpack, suddenly unable to handle any sort of distance from you. 

He's not sure how long the two of you stayed locked together, whispering quiet affirmations to each other. He had a small feeling this would happen, and he's glad that he got you to the airport with a good amount of time before your scheduled departure. He didn't want to think of what this would be like if you were in rush. 

"You should get going." He makes himself say. 

"Will you judge me if I eat my feelings as soon as I get through security?" You mumble. 

"Send me a picture of what you get and I'll let you know." Kei can't help but to laugh. 

"Promise." You pull away from his chest, taking a deep breath. "It's only three months."

"Only three months." He echoes. He brushes the hair from your face. "Be safe, okay?"

"You be safe too." You tilt your chin up. 

It's slow and sweet when he kisses you. He takes his time, memorizing the way your lips mold against his. He pulls back, only to have you yank him in again, your hands reaching up to grab the back of his head and twist through his hair. You leave him feeling breathless when you break apart once again, this time for good. 

You leave him with the taste of menthol and sadness. He didn't think it was possible to taste sadness, but he swore he could. He isn't quite able to return your brave smile as you turn back towards the door, disappearing inside with your luggage. 

Kei's mind is a blur as he goes back to his car. He knew this would be hard, but not  _ this _ hard. It defied every part of his logical mind. It annoys him that he feels so strongly over a  _ person _ . Still, he lets himself feel it, allowing the gnawing sensation to expand in his chest until it nearly suffocates him. 

_ This is what it's like to let yourself fall completely for someone.  _

He gets in his car but doesn't start it. He isn't ready to go back to an empty, quiet apartment. He isn't ready for the inevitable moment when his obsessive cleaning habits take over and he winds up scrubbing the last evidence of your presence from his living space. He isn't ready to be alone. 

He's calling Kuroo before he realizes it, his brain barely registering what he's doing. 

"What time's it?" Kuroo's sleepy voice rings when he picks up. 

"Almost ten." 

"Shit, Skinny. Why are you--" Kuroo stops himself short and sighs. "Meet me at Bo's? I'll wake him up."

Kei should be aggravated that Kuroo is able to figure out the reason why he's calling so easily, but he's too lost in his own head to care. 

At least he doesn't have to explain himself. 

"Yeah. I'll get coffee." Kei hears himself say. "Thanks."

This wakes Kuroo up. "Aww, Tsukki, you don't gotta thank me. I'm just being kind--"

Kuroo is cut off again, this time by Kei ending the call. He drops his phone onto the passenger seat, trying not to think about how it's emptiness bothers him. 

He settles into his seat and grips the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white. Saying goodbye shouldn't hurt as much as it does. He shouldn't be surprised at his luck--of course he would choose someone who lives across the damn country. He knows he'll do everything to make it work, but it doesn't make things any easier. 

He wishes he could've asked you to stay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I successfully made myself sad with this one. 
> 
> This is officially the last chapter in this part of Torch! Tales, not including the epilogue that I have to write so I don't depress myself further. THERE WILL BE A PART THREE I PROMISE. I'll give more details once the epilogue is posted. :)
> 
> I have a question for you lovely people--for those of you who like musicals, if you had to pick a Haikyuu character to be cast as Jean Valjean, who would you pick? The other roles are easy (especially Javert, come on), but JVJ is stumping me. 
> 
> I love all y'all and appreciate your support more than you know. <3 let me know how this one makes you feel!


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short epilogue to set up part three of this series. :)

**Late August**

It hadn't taken Kei long to figure out that "meeting your sister" meant "she's going to actually want to get to know you, and oh by the way, she'll probably call you for no reason". What had started as a casual meeting turned into a weekly, sometimes twice weekly, phone call from Hifumi. And no, they weren't just fifteen minute conversations to see how he was doing. He once spent over an hour talking to her about the most mundane topics. 

At first Kei merely tolerated the interaction for your sake. She was just being protective of you, a sentiment he shared. Then he caught himself texting Hifumi about what he thought was Hitoka's ridiculous choice in cake flavors for her wedding (red velvet, really?). That was when he realized she'd successfully squirrled her way into his life. 

Kei spends way too much time on the phone these days between texting and calling the two of you. Mostly you. He'd be lying if he said he hated it, even if texting was still a little weird for him. 

Today was no different. Hifumi had called him while he was in the middle of folding laundry, the notification for a video request having nearly been missed thanks to his phone being buried underneath a pile of jeans. He'd learned to keep his phone on vibrate after his ringtone managed to go off so many times that he started singing along with it. 

"Shouldn't you be working?" Kei answers with a scowl. He props his phone against the laundry basket that was currently sitting in the middle of his bed. 

"I'm allowed to take breaks, thank you." Hifumi glares at him through the screen. From what Kei can tell, she's sitting in her small office at the bakery, where she primarily worked on payroll and other paperwork. 

Or called him, apparently. 

"Is annoying your sister's partner part of taking breaks?" He mutters, adding a neatly folded shirt to his growing pile. 

"Dealing with your sorry ass is more like a second job." Hifumi manages to keep a straight face for a solid two seconds before she starts cackling. "Hi there, Strawberry."

Kei cringes at the nickname. Of course she would be one of those types to come up with stupid names for  _ everyone _ . Hell, he only knows her employees by their nicknames--Cherry Spikes (or sometimes just Cherries) and Sparkles. Seriously. For a while there Kei wasn't sure if she was running a bakery or a brothel. 

"What do you want?" He huffs, shooting her an irritated glare that he hopes doesn't lose effectiveness on the tiny screen. 

"Oh nothing. Just saying hi. Gotta see how things are going." Hifumi's sing-song voice tells him this is anything but a call just to exchange pleasantries. She has the same look in her eye that you get when you're holding in a secret. Kei has been able to pick up on a lot of similarities between the two of you, as well as the glaring differences. 

"Then I guess I can hang up then." Kei picks up the phone and hovers his thumb over the end call button. 

"Nononono you can't!" Hifumi leans dangerously close to the camera, giving him an up close view of her nose. "I have a question!"

"Seriously, what?" Kei rubs his forehead. He's long past trying to be pleasant with her. 

She moves back from the camera, her shit-eating grin on full display. "A certain someone panicked when she realized your birthday is coming up next month."

"That's… not a question." He turns his face away to hide the flush on his cheeks. He hadn't even thought of his own birthday, much less wondered if you'd be concerned about it. 

"How old will you be?" There it was. Kei had been waiting for her to express some sort of disapproval about him, and this was her golden opportunity. 

Kei hesitates a moment. "Twenty-eight."

"DAMMIT!" She slams her hand on her desk, knocking a pen to the floor. She scrambles to pick it up, only to knock her head on the underside of the desk on her way back up. Kei can't stop himself from laughing at the display. 

"Don't laugh at me." She pouts. It makes his heart tug a little. Her face looks so much like yours that it made it difficult for him to be  _ too _ mean to her. Luckily he liked you for more than your face. Hifumi was a total wreck. "I'm mad that we missed your 27th on the 27th."

"Why is that such a big deal?" He sits down on the edge of the bed, laundry briefly forgotten. 

"Because that only comes once in a lifetime! You know, where your age matches your birth date. I had to wait until I was thirty. THIRTY." She explains as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "What? Did you think it was something else?"

He shakes his head. "No. But that’s really fucking weird."

"It's not!" Her expression shifts from a pout to one that tells him she's about to instigate something. "Got any plans?"

"Why would I already have plans?"  _ It isn't that important.  _

"I'm just curious. That's all. Didn't know if you'd be busy." She takes a long sip of whatever it was she kept in the giant pink tumbler she seemed to always carry. 

Kei groans. "If she's planning something--"

"She's not. Yet." Hifumi says, and he finds himself trusting her. She was an incredibly transparent person. "I just didn't know if  _ we  _ should plan anything."

"We? As in, you and me?" He isn't sure if he likes where this is heading. 

She gives him a sly smile. "If you could do  _ anything _ for your birthday, what would it be?" 

"I feel like there's an obvious answer here." Kei narrows his eyes. 

"I'm just saying, that if you  _ happened _ to not want to spend your birthday with your family or whatever, and you  _ happened _ to have some free time on your hands…" 

Kei considers it. He's not the biggest fan of celebrating his own birthday, and he's certainly never surprised someone else on that day. He usually winds up drinking with his friends, but he does that often enough. 

And if he's being honest, he's  _ dying _ to see you. Pictures and videos only went so far. It scared him how much he missed you, to the point where he found himself using your moisturizer (that you oh-so-happened to leave behind) just to remind himself of what you smelled like. 

"I'll think about it." He says, and he means it. He'll have to beg for more time off from the museum, but if he plays his cards right he might be able to manage it. He could convince the rest of the band to take a break from practicing, he was sure. "Don't get her hopes up."

"There's a condition." Whatever that condition is, Kei doesn't get to hear it. Hifumi's eyes dart past the screen as her office door opens. "So like I was saying, there's absolutely no way in hell that I'd let someone pick red velvet, even if it was for a Halloween wedding."

Kei blinks, confused until he realized she was giving him an easy way to play along. They'd had this conversation via text already. "It's probably the worst cake flavor."

"Worst cake flavor? Poppy seed." Your voice immediately causes his heart to race and his face softens. He hears the door click shut before you come into view. His breath hitches in his throat when he sees you're wearing his yellow hoodie, the sleeves coming down past your small hands. You crouch down at the desk next to Hifumi and give him a warm smile. "Hi."

"Hi." He can't muster much else. Seeing you practically swimming in his clothes does something to him. Your cheeks turn pink when you catch the way he's looking at you through the camera. 

Hifumi makes a gagging noise at the display. "You two are literally disgusting."

"And we  _ literally  _ just said hi." You roll your eyes. "Satori promised me macaroons."

"You eat enough macaroons." Hifumi flicks your forehead. 

(Kei briefly wonders if Satori is Cherries or Sparkles. Briefly. He doesn't want to think too hard about either of those nicknames.)

You bite back at Hifumi, saying something about her own sugar binging habits. That's when Kei finally notices the purple shadows beneath your eyes and the way your hair is piled haphazardly on top of your head. Even though he still finds you remarkably pretty, your disheveled appearance is somewhat concerning. Hifumi seems to take notice too, given how she reaches to smooth the flyaway strands around your face. You shy away from her touch and wave her hand away with one of your own. 

Hifumi gives Kei a pointed look as she rises. "I'm going to go check on those two assholes. If Cherries is promising to feed you he's bound to be up to something out there."

"Whatever it is, I didn't start it." You huff. You move to sit in Hifumi's chair once she leaves the office, bending over so your chin is resting on the desk. You gaze at Kei through the screen, offering a small smile. 

"Did you not sleep?" His voice comes out harsher than he intended, and he mentally curses himself for his apparent incapability of sounding concerned. "You look tired."

"That's just a nice way of saying I look like shit." You narrow your eyes. 

"Someone's in a mood." Kei pushes his laundry aside and leans back against the headboard. 

"I'm not in a mood." You roll your eyes. 

"Uh huh." He raises an eyebrow. "You going to tell me what's wrong or do I need to just leave you alone?"

You close your eyes. "Don't leave me alone."

If Kei has learned anything about you over the last few weeks of video calls, it's that you have the tendency to avoid eye contact when you're feeling vulnerable. He once had a conversation with your ceiling; that had been the first time you'd admitted to missing him, and as much as he had wanted to actually see you when you said it, he understood. Nothing about this was easy. 

He wanted nothing more than to reach out and stroke the side of your face until you looked at him again. He wanted to reassure you that he'd never leave you alone, even though it was far too early to admit something like that. 

"I'm not leaving." He murmurs. "Talk to me."

You open your eyes and stare down at the surface of the desk. "I woke up from a bad dream and couldn't get back to sleep, so I just started working."

"Since when?" 

"Four my time." It was just past three in Park Barre, and Kei knew you didn't go to bed until at least midnight the night before. 

Normal Kei would make fun of you for being so disturbed by a nightmare, but the Kei that was trying to be a good partner decided to push back all of those remarks. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" He prods. You shake your head rapidly. He knows better than to push further. "You could've called me."

"Would you call me if you had a nightmare?" Color rises to your cheeks. 

"I can commit to doing so in the future, if you do." Not that he had nightmares to begin with, in fact he rarely dreamt. You give a small nod in agreement. "Nice hoodie by the way."

"Some guy I hooked up with gave it to me." You smirk. You finally raise your gaze to meet his. 

_ There you are _ . 

"Some guy, huh? Was he any good?" Kei smirks back at you. 

"Eh, he was alright." You wink. "Just the best I've ever had."

Kei lets out a snort. "You know better than to feed my ego, babe."

"Did you just call me babe?" The word was apparently enough to send you into a giggling fit. Kei can't quite understand what was so funny about him calling you a common pet name, but your laughter was so contagious that he couldn't help but to join in. 

That was the moment when Kei realized that his happiness was directly linked to yours, and he'd say whatever stupid shit he needed to if it would make you laugh like that again. 

"Babe," Kei manages to say through his laughter, just to watch you hide your face in your hands in an attempt to muffle your near-squealing. 

"Sorry, I'm just so tired and it's making everything funny." You say once you've calmed yourself down. 

"Don't even, you just can't handle it when I flirt with you." And Kei secretly hopes it stays that way. 

"Can you blame me?" You press your fists against your cheeks, causing your face to scrunch up in a way that Kei finds oddly cute. "I can't wait to see you laugh in person again."

"Don't rush it too much, Tadashi and Hitoka are already freaking out about the wedding." 

_ Little do you know that I plan on seeing you much sooner, darling.  _   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've come to the end of this small adventure! Thank you all for the amazing amount of support you've given me throughout writing this. I know the epilogue was short, but I just wanted to give you a brief idea of what's yet to come!
> 
> (And I wanted y'all to meet Hifumi, because she's going to be around quite a bit in part three.)
> 
> I've got part three laid out and titled, just a matter of writing it. I'm going to take a small break from working on this series so I can start something new, but I promise promise this will continue. I've got some awesome stuff planned, plus some fun smutty scenes. ^^ 
> 
> If you're following this on a guest account and want me to update you via comment once part three is up, please let me know! 
> 
> Love all y'all tons.


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